Global Campaign Off Derby Trail After Grabbing Quarter

Sagamore Farm and WinStar Farm's Global Campaign will no longer forge ahead on the 2019 Road to the Kentucky Derby after the colt sustained an injury in the March 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park. 

According to Hunter Rankin of Sagamore Farm, the Curlin  colt—who finished fifth in the Fountain of Youth—grabbed a quarter during the race and will take time off to recuperate. 

"It's one of those situations where we think it was a pretty tough experience for him," Rankin said. "With a  horse as nice as he is, or at least we feel that he is, it's really not doing the right thing for him to try and rush him back and get him ready for a prep like the Blue Grass Stakes or something that is five weeks out. It's just not the right thing for him right now. 

"I think we would rather see how it heals, bring him back on his own time, and then when he's doing well, we find him a spot. That could be anytime from six weeks from now if it's really healed up well or it could be eight to ten weeks from now. It's not a serious thing for him at all, it's more about getting him over a bad experience so he can get back to being himself."

Unraced at 2, Global Campaign broke his maiden on debut Jan. 5 by an impressive 5 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream before snapping up another victory just one month later in a Feb. 9 allowance optional claiming race at the same track. Trained by Stanley Hough, the colt performed admirably in the Fountain of Youth despite his injury, finishing a little over five lengths behind the winner, Code of Honor. 

Rankin said the decision to take Global Campaign out of consideration for the Triple Crown trail was not an easy one, but they remain hopeful that the colt's class and talent will continue to open up opportunities for a bright future on the racetrack. Depending on how he heals, Ranking said the colt could return to training training in the next couple weeks. 

"We have the same dreams as everyone else does," Rankin said. "Everybody wants to get to the Kentucky Derby and win that race. We honestly felt that he was that type of horse and what gives us the most hope is that he does things really effortlessly. We've had maybe six different people on him from Luis Saez to whoever we've had exercise ride for us, and person to person, everyone has thought he is special. He can be a little tough and he likes to play; he's got a mind of his own. But we don't really think any of that is a bad thing, it's really what makes him, him.

"It may not all work out the way we planned but we think he's special and we want him to have the chance to prove that he is the horse we think he is. So if we have to give him a little extra time to do that, we've waited this long so it's not the end of the world."

Purchased for $250,000 by Sagamore from the Select Sales consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Global Campaign is the third foal out of the A.P. Indy mare Globe Trot, thus a half brother to two-time grade 1 winner and new sire, Bolt d'Oro —a career trajectory that Rankin would love to eventually see imitated by Global Campaign. 

"Our goal has always been, for a horse like him, we want to create a sire that would be marketable in Kentucky or elsewhere in another market and we feel like he's that type of horse," Rankin said. "We want to make sure he has every chance to do it."