Seize the Grey, one of 19 horses pre-entered in the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar, had a significant work for the Nov. 2 race on Wednesday. The Preakness and Pennsylvania Derby winner went six furlongs in 1:13.40 at his Churchill Downs base, where his major prep work is being completed, according to trainer D. Wayne Lukas. “I doubt if I work him there,” Lukas said Tuesday of Del Mar. “I think we’ll probably just do some serious galloping there.” National Treasure, winner of last year’s Preakness and this year’s Metropolitan Handicap and Pegasus World Cup, has been made the 4-1 early favorite on the Daily Racing Form line set by Brad Free. The Preakness winners have secured spots in the Dirt Mile, which has a maximum field size of 14, along with Derma Sotogake, Domestic Product, Dr. Venkman, Full Serrano, Mufasa, Muth, Post Time, Saudi Crown, Senor Buscador, Skippylongstocking, Three Technique, and Tumbarumba. :: ON SALE NOW: DRF Breeders' Cup Packages! Get everything you need to win and save 41% off the retail price. But the race is not the first preference for four of those runners. Derma Sotogake, Senor Buscador, and Skippylongstocking all have the Classic – for which they also made the field – as their first preference in a non-binding designation. Dr. Venkman’s first preference is the Sprint, where he has secured a spot in the field, as have Domestic Product and Mufasa, whose first preference is the Dirt Mile. The remaining Dirt Mile pre-entrants in order of preference are Cagliostro, Katonah, Fort Bragg, T O Saint Denis, and Pipeline. Seize the Grey had been considered for the Classic following his win in the 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby, but instead shortens up to the distance over which he won the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile. Jaime Torres has the mount in the Dirt Mile, said Lukas, who is comfortable with the distance move with Seize the Grey. “I haven’t seen the race,” he said Tuesday, “but I found in my career going a route and cutting back, I really have good luck doing that. I remember I ran Gulch a mile and an eighth and cut him back to six furlongs and won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.” Seize the Grey, who won an Oaklawn Park allowance route from off the pace in February, wired his rivals in both the Preakness and Pennsylvania Derby. The son of Arrogate, who races for MyRacehorse, has earned $2.4 million. “I think he runs to his competition,” Lukas said. “I think he seems like he adapts to the scenario of the way the race falls in place and he just kind of runs to the competition. I don’t think you can take handicapping numbers and get a line on him. I think he runs exactly to what he has to do to win. He has figured out how to win races.” :: BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, news, and more The 89-year-old Lukas has won a record 20 Breeders’ Cup races. “The Breeders’ Cup has been very good to us, so maybe one more time,” he said. The Dirt Mile is scheduled as the 12th race. Final entries are to be taken Monday. National Treasure and Three Technique both won Breeders’ Cup Challenge races for the Dirt Mile. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.