Running Stag will go straight for the Breeders` Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on November 4th, it was revealed today.
The much-travelled six-year-old had been pencilled in to use Saturday`s Fayette Breeders` Cup at Keeneland as a prep race for the Classic.
However, Philip Mitchell`s charge has taken longer than expected to recover from his unplaced effort in the Arlington Million in August.
The trainer said: 'It was the intention to run there but we`ve just run out of time with him and we`ll go straight to the Breeders` Cup now.
'It`s not much of a setback, it`s something he`s had all his career which was aggravated when he ran on the soft ground in Chicago.
'It was only going to be a prep run and he`s not a difficult horse to get ready.
'He`s just doing light work over in New York at the moment where he`s staying at John Hertler`s barn and I`ll be going over there on the 14th to do some work with him.'
Running Stag has won four times in the United States in the last two seasons, most recently landing a Grade Two contest at Suffolk Downs, Boston, in June.
