Upstart Misses Scheduled Breeze With a Fever
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Ralph Evans' Lambholm South Holy Bull (gr. II) winner Upstart was scheduled to breeze the morning of April 11 at trainer Rick Violette's Palm Meadows base in Boynton Beach, Fla., but the workout was postponed when the ridgling developed a fever.
"He had a higher than normal temperature, so we have to see where that's going," Violette said of son of Flatter , who most recently was second in the Besilu Stables Florida Derby (gr. I) March 38 at Gulfstream Park. "We just skipped the breeze, and we'll see what happens. If it goes up, then we'll have to really address it, and if it's just a bump on the screen, we'll re-plan his breeze.
"We'll gallop him a couple days and see what's going on. Right now, it's too early to give any kind of intelligent answer other than, we'll take his temperature later and see what happens."
Violette said Upstart, who also recorded a runner-up finish in the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (gr. II) via disqualification after crossing the wire first, was discovered to have an elevated temperature just before leaving the barn for his breeze, which would have been his first since the Florida Derby.
"We noticed it mid-morning," Violette said. "His temp was a little bit higher than normal early, and he had a dirty nose later. We had tack on him and were ready to go, and (assistant trainer) Melissa (Cohen) took (his temperature) again, and it was climbing. We're better off not breezing. If you breeze a horse that's about to get sick, you're going to make him really sick. Everything's on hold until we know which way this thing is going."
Violette added that his trainee is not acting like a sick horse, as Upstart appeared bright and aware in his stall on Violette's shedrow.
"He's acting great," he said."He looks wonderful. He's not acting sick. There's no question (it's better to have it happen now rather than later). If we had breezed him, and he was getting sick, then we could make him very, very sick. It's better that we caught it early, and we'll just deal with the cards, that's all."