Without a race since July 6 and the date of Oak Tree's Ancient Title Breeders' Cup Handicap considered a disadvantage by trainer Bruce Headley, the die has been cast for Kona Gold. He'll try to get to the Breeders' Cup Sprint Oct. 26 off workouts.Kona Gold worked five furlongs handily in :58 3/5 on Tuesday at Del Mar. Headley reconfirmed that he will train the 2000 Breeders' Cup Sprint champ and Eclipse winner into this year's Sprint at Arlington Park. "I'm planning to go to the Breeders' Cup and I'm going to train him up to it," Headley said. "The Ancient Title has been the biggest steppingstone for all of the California sprinters and it's a shame that the new date for the Ancient Title is 20 days before the Breeders' Cup. "I think my horse and Swept Overboard suffered from it (last year) because it was such a tough race. So, this year, it's going to have to be on workouts, because I don't want history to repeat itself." Of Kona Gold's progress, Headley said, "He's eating well. He's training well. He's feeling well. He looks well, and he always wants to work."
Kona Gold has 13 wins in 25 career starts and earnings of $2,133,864 for a partnership of Headley, Irwin Molasky, and Andrew Molasky.
