Runhappy Works from Gate in 1:14 1/5
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Photo: Laura Wohlers
Runhappy Sept. 15 at Churchill Downs.
James McIngvale’s champion Runhappy hit the road Sept. 15, shipping from his base at the Kentucky Training Center to Churchill Downs, where he worked six furlongs from the gate in 1:14 1/5 under Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado.
“He went well and Edgar was happy, which is the main thing,” said trainer Laura Wohlers. “The gate was placed on the outside fence, so he kind of darted to the inside at the start. I think he did the first quarter in :26, but he picked it up and was nice and steady.”
Plans for last year’s champion male sprinter to gallop out a mile didn’t come to fruition as the outrider went out and grabbed the horse and rider after seven eighths and slowed the team down.
“Other than that, everything went according to plan,” Wohlers said. “The key is that he cooled out well. Edgar said he wasn’t even breathing hard.”
Runhappy, who has not started since winning Santa Anita Park’s Malibu Stakes (gr. I) last December, recorded his fourth work in as many weeks. He is being pointed toward Churchill’s one-turn mile Ack Ack Handicap (gr. III) Oct. 1. Wohlers wanted to have her star work at least once over the Churchill surface to see how he liked it.
“He handled it just fine,” she said, but did note that the track does play differently in the morning than it does in the afternoons.
Runhappy, a 4-year-old son of Super Saver out of Bella Jolie, by Broken Vow, was bred in Kentucky by Wayne, Gray, and Bryan Lyster. Their Ashview Farm sold Runhappy’s half brother, by Exchange Rate, to Shadwell Estate Co. for $475,000 Sept. 13 at Keeneland’s September sale. Runhappy was a $200,000 purchase at the 2013 September sale.