Independence Hall Likely Sidelined Until Fall

Independence Hall, who burst on the scene at 2 with a record-breaking victory in the Nashua Stakes (G3), is now being pointed for a fall campaign, with one-turn December stakes such as the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) and the Malibu Stakes (G1) serving as major targets.

"We sent him back to WinStar Farm for another 30 days, give or take, with a goal of perhaps being ready to run in the fall," said Aron Wellman, the founder and president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. "The Breeders' Cup might be a bit too soon for him, but he's an extraordinary athlete. We just needed to hit the reset button with him, and we're looking forward to having a strong final part of the year."

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, and R K V Racing, Independence Hall began his 3-year-old season Jan. 1 with a victory in the one-turn mile Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. It was his first start since a romp in the Nov. 3 Nashua Stakes, also a one-turn mile test at the Big A, in which he set stakes records with his final time of 1:34.66 and 12 1/4-length margin of victory.

But when he was stretched out to two turns by trainer Michael Trombetta, the son of Constitution  was second, 2 1/2 lengths behind Sole Volante, in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, his first loss in four starts. He was then fifth by a little more than 10 lengths to winner Tiz the Law in the 1 1/8-mile Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

About a week after the Florida Derby, he was taken off the Triple Crown trail by his connections and sent to Trombetta's barn in Fair Hill, Md., for some rest and has remained out of training since then.

"He certainly exhibited an immense amount of brilliance around one turn at the mile distance, and conventional wisdom says we need to go back to that path," Wellman said. "Maybe something like the Malibu at the end of the year or the Cigar Mile, if he's ready, and after that maybe we can consider stretching him back out to two turns at some point."

Robert and Kathleen Verratti originally purchased Independence Hall through their Charlestown Investments for $100,000 from the Woodford Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He was then offered at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's March 2-year-olds in training sale, but was bought back for $200,000 when he failed to reach his reserve price.

Bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds, the 3-year-old colt is out of the Cape Town mare Kalahari Cat and is a half brother to grade 3 winner Black Onyx and to Francois, a stakes winner.