Barbara D. Livingston
Pavel, shown training last month, was fourth in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Feb. 3.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Pavel, a troubled fourth in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes here on Feb. 3, will skip the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 10 and be pointed for the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 31, trainer Doug O’Neill said on Thursday.
O’Neill may still have a presence in the $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap, the track’s most prominent race for older horses. Curlin Road, unraced since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic last August, is possible for the Big Cap, which is run at 1 1/4 miles.