Classic Empire’s workout canceled due to sore back

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – The curious odyssey of Classic Empire took another detour on Friday morning here at the Palm Meadows training center when he refused to break off for a potential workout, was taken off the track by jockey Julien Leparoux, and showed signs of favoring his back upon returning to trainer Mark Casse’s barn.

Classic Empire emerged from last month’s Holy Bull Stakes with an abscess in his right front foot that Casse said has healed. Friday was potentially going to be the first work for Classic Empire since the Holy Bull. But after moving down the backstretch at a gallop, Classic Empire refused, and Leparoux took him off the track.

“The first thing we wanted Julien to do was see how the foot was,” Casse said. “The foot’s as legit as can be.” But the potential work had to be called off. “Did he go his normal self? No,” Casse said.

Back at the barn, Casse said Classic Empire seemed to be uncomfortable in his back. He said he would have the colt roll in a round pen to see if he could work out his discomfort on his own, but he also was bringing in a chiropractor to look at the horse.

“One thing about it, this game ain’t easy,” Casse said. “The good news is we’ve still got time.”

Casse had said earlier in the week that he hoped to have Classic Empire set for the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 8. That would be his final prep for the Kentucky Derby on May 6.

But first he has to get back to working out.

Classic Empire has had his quirks. He has had mornings when he has his own agenda regarding training, and last summer at Saratoga, he wheeled leaving the gate in the Hopeful Stakes and dropped jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

But he also has immense talent. He won four of five starts last year, most notably the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, and was rewarded with an Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male.

State of Honor works briskly

State of Honor turned in an eye-catching drill under Leparoux on Friday at Palm Meadows in preparation for the Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby next Saturday. He was timed in 47.75 seconds for a half-mile and then galloped out powerfully.

“He trains unbelievable,” Casse said. “He’s training really well.

“That’s the life of a trainer. First set is crappy,” Casse said, referring to Classic Empire. “Second set, you get a work like that.”

State of Honor most recently was third in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa, which was won by McCraken.

Noble Bird to New Orleans

Noble Bird, sixth most recently in the Pegasus World Cup, is headed to the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds on April 1, Casse said.

On Friday, in his first work since the Pegasus, Noble Bird went five furlongs in 1:00.30 at Palm Meadows.

“I thought he went fantastic,” Casse said.

Noble Bird will be making his first start at Fair Grounds, and that will mark the 10th track at which he has raced. He has won 7 of 21 starts, his biggest victory coming in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs in 2015.

Curlin’s Approval will sprint

Curlin’s Approval got back to some serious work at Gulfstream Park on Friday, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.39 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.02 with jockey Luis Saez aboard. The work was her first since capturing the Grade 2 Royal Delta in impressive fashion two weeks ago.

“She had a nice, easy breeze this morning,” said owner and breeder Happy Alter, who was on hand, as always, to oversee the work.

“I’ve decided to keep her here for the seven-eighths race,” Alter added, referring to the Inside Information on March 18. “Even though I don’t like to go backwards now that she’s won at a mile and one-sixteenth, the race is right here, so there’s no shipping, and it’s a Grade 2 worth $200,000.”

Alter said if all goes well after the Inside Information, he will point Curlin’s Approval, who is trained by Marty Wolfson, to the Grade 1, 1 1/16-mile La Troienne at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 5.

“Down the road, I would really rather run her around two turns because I think in the long run, it’s much easier on a horse rather than having to run hard from start to finish in sprint races,” said Alter. “But for the short term, I think the race here is our best option.”

Tequilita will await Oaks

Tequilita, the upset winner of the Grade 2 Forward Gal on Feb. 4, was conspicuous by her absence when entries were drawn for Saturday’s Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes. But trainer Michael Matz said he decided to skip the second leg of the local stakes series for 3-year-old fillies to await the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on April 1.

“I thought it would be too much to ask her to run in all three races,” said Matz. “She’s started to learn to relax now, so I’m anxious to see where we are with her at this point by trying her around two turns in the Gulfstream Oaks. If she shows she can stay two turns, we’ll look ahead to the Kentucky Oaks. If not, there will be plenty of opportunities down the road keeping her around one turn the rest of the year.”

3-year-olds powering Pletcher

When Spice Lady won the second race here last Sunday, she became the ninth 3-yearold to win its career debut for trainer Todd Pletcher since the four-month championship meet began Dec. 3. The others: Nonna Bella, Ghalia, Coors Lute, Adorable Miss, Run and Go, Malagacy, Woodrow, and Faja.

Into Friday, Pletcher had sent out 47 winners from 164 starters at this meet and is well on his way to a 14th straight title at a Gulfstream winter meet, a remarkable streak dating to 2004. Nineteen of those winners at this meet were in maiden races, including the nine first-time-starting 3-year-olds.

◗ Jockey Joel Rosario was at Payson Park early Friday to breeze Vettori Kin, one of his three scheduled mounts in Dubai later this month. Vettori Kin, now trained by Ken McPeek, won the Brazil Derby in November and will run in the $2 million UAE Derby on the March 25 Dubai World Cup undercard.

Rosario also has the call on Mind Your Biscuits in the $2 million Golden Shaheen and Long On Value in the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint.