Keen Ice Transferred to Pletcher

Donegal Racing's Keen Ice, the Curlin   colt who beat Triple Crown winner American Pharoah   in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) last year, has been moved from the barn of trainer Dale Romans to Todd Pletcher.

"This is not as big a deal to us as it is to the outside world," Donegal president Jerry Crawford said. "We have routinely moved horses from one trainer to another. I know trainers aren't crazy for it, but my belief is that some athletes—human and equine—do better in one system than another, and if a horse isn't doing well in one system why not let him try another?"

The horse is currently at Keeneland, but will likely get a layoff after running eighth in the March 26 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (UAE-I).

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"He's going to get some time," Crawford said. "He'll probably get turned out at a farm; that's something Todd and I need to talk about."

According to Crawford, moving Keen Ice from Romans' string is nothing personal. Donegal currently has three other runners in training with Romans.

"One thing I want to emphasize is that this is not indication of a personal problem with us and Dale," he said. "His daughter has worked for me, my son has worked for him... it's just us doing what we thought we needed to try and do to get the best out of the horse."

Keen Ice has not won since upsetting American Pharaoh in the Travers after running second to that rival in the William Hill Haskell Invitational (gr. I) and third in the Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings (gr. I). He concluded his 3-year-old season with consecutive fourths in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and Clark Handicap (gr. I), and launched his 2016 campaign with a sixth in the Donn Handicap (gr. I). In Dubai he ran seventh in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Sponsored By Emirates (UAE-I) before failing to fire in the World Cup.

"If you just go by numbers, his race in the Travers last year would have won the World Cup this year," Crawford said. "The question is, can we get him back to that level of performance? If we can get him back to that level, great, if not then at least we tried."

Crawford said he hopes to get Keen Ice back into racing form in time for a start at Saratoga Race Course this summer, with an eye still on a Breeders' Cup campaign at Santa Anita Park.

"Obviously we know he likes Saratoga, and (at the end of the year) I would love to get him back to the Breeders' Cup Classic," the owner said. "I was convinced we would win that race last year."