Stevens Calls Audible During Mor Spirit Work

You know it's Kentucky Derby (gr. I) season when news of a bungled workout spreads like wildfire.

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens was up on grade I winner Mor Spirit Feb. 23 at Santa Anita Park, heading into the turn of what was supposed to be a strong six-furlong move. But when the Bob Baffert trainee felt unresponsive beneath him, Stevens took precautions and aborted the work—easing Mor Spirit down the lane and jogging him back to the barn.

The runner's connections said a set of earplugs was to blame.

With regular work rider Martin Garcia out sick the morning of Feb. 23, Stevens jumped in to work Mor Spirit on the fly. Somewhere in the last-minute adjustments, Stevens said, the fact was not relayed that Mor Spirit was wearing the same kind of earplugs worn by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  .

"I didn't know the horse had earplugs in today," Stevens said. "He's a lazy workhorse anyway, until I cue him up. When I went to cue him up going into the turn, his ears didn't move. When I started riding him around the turn, he didn't respond. He was unresponsive going around the turn and I was exhausted; I went to give myself a breather and he pulled himself up.

"When he wasn't working underneath me, and me not knowing the earplugs were in, my warning signals were going off. When my warning signals go off, I have to trust my instincts. But I feel way better right now than I did at 7:50 this morning. He felt good jogging back to barn and I know it wasn't a soundness problem."

Stevens, who has ridden Mor Spirit for owner Michael Lund Petersen in four of his five lifetime starts—including his past two graded scores in the Los Alamitos Futurity (gr. I) and Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. III)—said he normally pulls out Mor Spirit's earplugs when he arrives at the gate before a race.

"I've never worked him with the plugs," he said. "When I ride him in the afternoon, he wears them to the starting gate, and there's a string, and when I pull them out he lights up and turns into a different animal."

Baffert confirmed the earplugs issue via text.

"Work got screwed up," he said. "Martin (was) sick today. He is (a) very lazy horse and had his earplugs in. Very quiet so Gary took precautions." 

Baffert has not decided whether the March 12 San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) will be Mor Spirit's next start, but could work the runner back Feb. 24 or Feb. 25 . The Pennsylvania-bred son of Eskendereya, a $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida sale purchase, sits third on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 24 points behind Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) winner Gun Runner (51) and champion 2-year-old male Nyquist (30).