Sir Winston Set for 4-Year-Old Debut at Aqueduct
Image:
Description:
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Sir Winston at Belmont Park the morning after his Belmont Stakes victory
Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Sir Winston is set for his 4-year-old debut after a quick bounce back from a minor shoe mishap and missing his first target due to poor weather conditions.
Trainer Mark Casse entered Tracy Farmer's homebred for an $80,000, one-mile allowance optional claiming event Jan. 31 at Aqueduct Racetrack after scratching the Awesome Again colt from the Jan. 25 Jazil Stakes. Jockey Dylan Davis has the mount.
"We were lucky because they had this race in the condition book," Casse said. "It's not ideal, it's a little shorter than we would have liked, but I want to run him. I want to get him going."
Casse said if the allowance race goes well Sir Winston could come back in the Feb. 29 Bernardini Stakes, run at 1 5/16 miles at Aqueduct. If the classic winner continues to do well Casse is hopeful he could make the March 28 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1).
"He's got to come around," Casse added. "Like I said, a mile's a little short for him, but I would think he'll come running."
Sir Winston made his first start since the Belmont Stakes in the Dec. 28 Woodchopper Stakes on turf at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. After bumping with a rival multiple times early in the race, though, he came home last of 12. He returned to work Jan. 16 on Belmont Park's training track, but pulled a shoe and stepped on it while it was halfway off. Sir Winston was tentatively entered for the Jazil, and while the tender foot had healed, Casse scratched due to weather and track conditions.
"One, the track was a tremendous speed-biased racetrack which doesn't help him," Casse said. "I was OK with it being I little muddy, but I just wasn't comfortable running him on it."
Mr. Buff won the Jazil in wire-to-wire fashion on a sloppy and sealed track.
Sir Winston received glue-on shoes a few days after pulling his shoe during his workout. Casse said the glue-ons seem to be helping and his charge hasn't missed a beat during training.
Friday's race, the seventh on the card, drew seven entries, including Sir Winston's stablemate Brass Compass; Musical America, a winner in his last two starts; and Claiming Crown Jewel winner Leitone.