Dixie Brass has already proved that he is one of the fastest 3-year olds in the nation.
But in tomorrow's $75,000 Cherry Hill Mile at Garden State Park, the son of 1983 Pennsylvania Derby winner Dixieland Band will venture around two turns for the first time.
Dixie Brass has won four of five career starts, including a romp in the Swift Stakes, but all of his victories have been achieved at six furlongs.
His only defeat was in the Cowdin Stakes last October at Aqueduct, in which he was bothered leaving the gate and wound up eighth behind winner Salt Lake.
Raphael Mojica Jr., aboard in each of Dixie Brass' victories, will ride the $40,000 Ocala purchase again tomorrow against excellent competition.
The Cherry Hill Mile will offer owner Michael Watral, a Long Island, N.Y., contractor, and trainer Dennis Brida an opportunity to see whether they should consider a trip to Louisville in May for the Kentucky Derby.
Surely Six is another in the field of 10 who has displayed abundant sprint speed but is winless going longer.
Trained in the incredibly hot Maryland-based stable of Ben Perkins Jr., Surely Six was something of a disappointment in Gulfstream Park's Fountain of Youth but showed tremendous potential in previous starts.
Rick Wilson, a masterful front-running rider, will be aboard Surely Six again.
The well-balanced field also consists of Nines Wild and Jacksonport, both successful in stakes at Aqueduct during the winter.
Pie in Your Eye, Sticks and Bricks, Coin Collector, and Coringa will all travel from Maryland for the Mile.
Major Danger, a winner of three straight, will break from the outside post under the leading jockey of the Garden State meeting, Bob Colton.
Keep It S.S. completes the field and will no doubt go off at the longest odds.
Rain is forecast and on a wet track, Dixie Brass should be even tougher. He has won both his "off" track races by wide margins.
