May Return Eyed for Grade 1-Placed Gouverneur Morris

After a 3-year-old season interrupted by a leg infection and colitis, grade 1-placed Gouverneur Morris is walking soundly in preparation for a 4-year-old campaign in 2021 that will likely begin in the spring.

Owned by Team Valor International and WinStar Farm, the son of Constitution  has not raced since May 2, when he finished third but was ultimately moved up to second in the Arkansas Derby (G1) following the disqualification of the victorious Charlatan for a positive drug test.

"He finally became sound 10 days ago, and he's being turned out five hours a day in the paddock," said Team Valor CEO and founder Barry Irwin.

Irwin said the 3-year-old is expected to return to trainer Todd Pletcher's barn at some point in January and after 120 days of training could be set to run by May.

Gouverneur Morris, purchased for $600,000 last year from the Eddie Woods consignment at The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Florida select 2-year-olds in training sale, has won two of five starts with earnings of $297,500.

Irwin also said Team Valor's grade 1-winning mare Oleksandra is back with trainer Neil Drysdale at Santa Anita Park, and the homebred daughter of 2011 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Animal Kingdom is being pointed to a likely start in the Jan. 1 Joe Hernandez Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita.

If Oleksandra runs well enough in January, Irwin said a prime option for her could be a trip to King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Saudi Arabia for the Feb. 20 $1 million 1351 Turf Sprint, a 6 3/4-furlong international test.

Regardless of how Oleksandra's racing career unfolds in the coming months, Irwin said she will be bred to Into Mischief  next year, with the hope of possibly racing her for a few months before offering her in the 2021 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Oleksandra was a $1.45 million RNA Nov. 9 at the Keeneland sale and kept in training.

Sent off as the 6-1 fourth choice in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), Oleksandra was 12th much of the way in the 5 1/2-furlong stakes and 13th at the eighth pole before passing some horses late to finish ninth behind Glass Slippers. 

It was the mare's first start since coming out of a victory in the June 20 Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park with a fractured splint bone.

Out of the Caesour mare Alexandra Rose, Oleksandra has won seven of 16 starts with earnings of $547,353.