Dimitrova an Early Arrival for Breeders' Cup

Flower Bowl Invitational Handicap (gr. IT) winner Dimitrova arrived in Southern California late Wednesday night from New York and was safely bedded down in barn 68 at Santa Anita to begin preparations for her next start in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) on Oct. 25.

The 3-year-old daughter of Swain was accompanied by stable lad Joe Mulholland, who will be supervising the filly's conditioning. Her trainer, Dermot Weld, remains in Europe.

"She arrived at about half-past 10 (Wednesday) night," Mulholland said. "It was uneventful and she settled in well, but she's a good shipper so I'm not surprised. She went to the training track this morning and jogged and hacked a little with the pony."

Dimitrova has been in California before. She won the $750,000 American Oaks at Hollywood Park in early July and was sent back to New York where she was second in the Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT) before winning Saturday's Flower Bowl. Overall the Joseph Higgins color-bearer has earned $1,047,292 with a record of 8-4-2-1.

According to Mulholland, Weld may fly in to California in "a couple of weeks" to supervise some of the filly's final preparations for the Breeders' Cup, but was unsure of the conditioner's exact travel plans. In the meantime, Dimitrova will continue her light training over the training track before returning to the main track in a couple of days.