Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Girvin eyes Stephen Foster
Girvin, who became a Grade 1 winner last year in the Haskell Invitational, could resume racing at that level next month in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs.
“It’s definitely a possibility, definitely on the radar,” trainer Joe Sharp said.
Sharp said Girvin came out of his runner-up finish Bee Jersey in the Grade 3, $200,000 Steve Sexton Mile on May 6 at Lone Star Park in excellent condition. The $500,000 Stephen Foster will be run June 16.
Girvin, who is owned by Texas resident Brad Grady, was making his first start of the year in the Steve Sexton Mile. He rallied from last and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90.
Sharp, who now has Girvin back at his Churchill base, said he is considering an equipment change for the horse’s next start.
“Brad and I have talked about adding blinkers next out to get him a little more involved early,” Sharp said. “All in all, we were pleased with his comeback race and how he came out of it. I think Bee Jersey is a legitimate horse. We’ll hear from him the rest of the year. As far as us, we need a little more distance. But I think we accomplished what we wanted to – other than winning.”
Girvin established himself as one of last year’s top 3-yearolds with wins in the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds and the Haskell at Monmouth Park. He is a son of Tale of Ekati.
The Stephen Foster will be run at the same 1 1/8-mile distance as the Louisiana Derby and Haskell. It carries Win and You’re In status for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be run Nov. 3 at Churchill.
Runaway Ghost on the mend
Runaway Ghost, the Sunland Derby winner forced to miss an intended Kentucky Derby start due to injury, had surgery last week in Elgin, Texas, to address a fracture in his right front cannon bone, according to his trainer, Todd Fincher. The horse was injured in one of his final works for the Kentucky Derby.
“He’s doing great – the surgeon was very happy with things,” Fincher said. “He’ll be back in training in a few months.”
Fincher said Runaway Ghost will be spending a few weeks in Texas before returning to New Mexico. The horse came out of an April 14 work at Sunland with a suspected hairline fracture, the injury coming just four days before he was scheduled to ship to Kentucky.
Runaway Ghost had dominated the Sunland Derby, closing for a 2 3/4-length win over a field that included shippers from Southern California and Florida. It was the third stakes win of his career, behind the Golden Nugget last November at Golden Gate Fields and the Riley Allison Derby in January at Sunland.
Runaway Ghost is a son of Ghostzapper who races for his breeder, Joe Peacock. Fincher – and eventually Runaway Ghost – will be based this summer at Ruidoso Downs, which opens its meet next Friday.
Blamed targeting fall return
Blamed, the Sunland Park Oaks winner who was forced to miss an intended start in the Kentucky Oaks after being injured in her final work for the race earlier this month at Churchill, is currently rehabbing in Versailles, Ky., trainer Joel Marr said.
“She had an injury to a hind fetlock, a hairline fracture in a hind pastern,” Marr said.
Blamed underwent an arthroscopic procedure and had stall rest for two weeks. She is now being hand-walked and in the near future will start jogging under tack – after she passes another round of tests, Marr said.
“We’re not in a hurry,” Marr said. “It will probably be the fall before she runs.”
Blamed, who later this summer will rejoin Marr at his division at Ruidoso, has won her last five races. She was a 6 1/4-length winner of the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks in her most recent start March 25. With the win, she completed a sweep of the track’s series for 3-year-old fillies, as she also captured the El Paso Times in January and the Island Fashion in February.
Blamed is a Maryland-bred daughter of Blame who races for Cleber Massey.
◗ Entries for the Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap will be taken Sunday. The 1 1/16-mile race will be run next Sunday, May 27. It is the co-richest race of the meet alongside the Grade 3, $200,000 Steve Sexton Mile that earlier this month was won by Bee Jersey.
◗ Grade 2 winner Mobile Bay on Friday drew post 3 in a field of seven for the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Night Classic, one of eight stakes to be run next Saturday night, May 26, at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La.