Gunnevera Much Improved From Foot Bruise

Trainer Antonio Sano spent a sleepless night after his Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1) contender Gunnevera became slightly lame March 28. However, following a long foot soaking and a change of shoes, the 4-year-old colt was much improved by the morning of March 29 and ventured to the Meydan dirt track to school in the starting gate.

"Thank God, he is perfect now," Sano told the Meydan notes team after patting the chestnut on the nose as he stood quietly in the gate. "He had a little bruise on his left front foot, so we pulled the shoe and soaked the foot in water with Epsom salt. We left the shoe off overnight and then replaced it this morning.

"The farrier told me, 'Antonio, take care of this horse and he'll be good for the race.' He did a great, great job with the foot," Sano said.

Following his schooling session Thursday, Gunnevera had a light jog from a gate down the nearby chute. However, the son of Dialed In  did not do any more exercise other than completing the about 4,800-meter (three-mile) round-trip journey from the quarantine barn area and back.

Sano plans to send Gunnevera to the Meydan dirt track Friday to gallop approximately 2,400 meters (1 1/2 miles) under the floodlights, and the trainer hopes the foot issue will be completely resolved.

"I am so happy with my horse and I hope he will be 1,000% for the race," he said.

Gunnevera heads into the $10 million Dubai World Cup Saturday off a third-place finish in the Jan. 27 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Gulfstream Park. He has won five of 15 starts, including a victory in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) last March.