Global Campaign returns with a bang

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Stanley Hough knew from Day 1 that Global Campaign was a special talent. But keeping his latest star sound enough to realize that potential has been a project Hough has labored over for the better part of the last year.

On Saturday, Global Campaign rewarded Hough for all that hard work and patience when he returned from a ninemonth layoff to defeat a solid field of high-priced optional-claiming rivals. Global Campaign rallied to a 1 1/2-length victory under Chris Landeros going seven furlongs while earning a 99 Beyer Speed Figure. The victory was one of two on the afternoon for Hough, who earlier sent out Scars Are Cool to defeat a slightly lesser group of allowance rivals at 1 1/16 miles.

“That was a good day,” Hough said by phone Monday. “Winning with Global Campaign was especially gratifying. We’ve had to overcome so many issues with him, nagging things, but right now this is the soundest I’ve ever had him.”

Global Campaign showed talent right from the start, opening his career with a pair of easy victories before finishing fifth in the 2019 Fountain of Youth, the point at which all his troubles really began.

“He almost took his whole quarter off in the Fountain of Youth, was able to come back from that to win the Peter Pan, but then wound up with more foot issues,” Hough recalled. “We finally got his feet all grown out for the Jim Dandy, but after that race he had some bone bruising that needed time to heal. So we just laid him up.”

Global Campaign was back in training at Palm Meadows earlier this winter when he developed yet another issue that set him back again.

“He had a deep muscle tear in behind a couple of months ago, but we were able to treat and get through that, and he’s progressed ever since,” Hough said. “Over the last six weeks he’s just gotten better and better. I was just happy to finally get this race into him. He’s just so talented, and I think it will really show as we move forward if I can keep him problem-free.”

As a result of all the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Hough has no immediate options for Global Campaign.

“There’s really nothing to really look forward to at the moment,” Hough said. “We’ll go to Kentucky once we can, and hopefully Churchill Downs will have races for him at some point. Belmont opening would also give us other options. I’d love to go farther with him, a mile or a mile and one-sixteenth in his next start. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Hough also was pleased with Scars Are Cool’s performance under Luis Saez on Saturday, the third win in 11 starts for the son of Malibu Moon, who was a starter in the 2019 Travers.

“In his previous few races we tried to get after him to keep him closer like you need to do at Gulfstream, but he wouldn’t finish,” Hough said. “So I told Luis not to rush, to lay back and try to make one run, and it worked out. Again, I’m not sure what’s out there for him, although if we’re still here for a while, he is a Florida-bred and I would run him in one of those races if something came up.”

Hough will be in action in a couple of stakes races here Saturday, sending out He Hate Me among the likely favorites in the $100,000 Big Drama for Floridabreds, with Saez aboard, and South Bend, who scratched from last Saturday’s Unbridled Stakes, as one of the choices in the $75,000 English Channel on the turf.

The $75,000 Honey Ryder for 3-year-old fillies on the turf also will be decided Saturday.

Panici breaks ribs in spill

Jockey Luca Panici will be sidelined for at least the next several weeks after his mount, Mrs. Miniver, collapsed from an apparent heart attack and crashed into the inner rail shortly after the start of Friday’s fourth race. Panici suffered two broken ribs as a result of the incident, according to his agent, Kevin Meyocks.

“He had no warning,” Meyocks said. “The horse had a heart attack. He’s really lucky he wasn’t hurt a lot worse, all things considered.”

This is the third time in the last six months that Panici has had to sit out due to injuries incurred during a race. Panici is the regular rider for leading Kentucky Derby prospect Sole Volante.

“First it was a broken foot, then a broken collarbone, now this,” Meyocks said. “The doctor said there’s little he can do with this type of injury other than to wait it out and come back when he feels right. Hopefully, within the next two to three weeks.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who returned from a one-month hiatus from the saddle to win four races on Saturday’s card, was lucky to escape serious injury when he fell from Our nation on parade, who clipped heels and stumbled during the running of Sunday’s main event. Ironically, Ortiz was a replacement for Panici, who was originally named aboard Our nation on parade by trainer Kathy Ritvo.

“Irad said his neck was a little stiff and he was a little sore but that he was okay when I spoke with him that evening,” said agent Steve Rushing. “And he fully expected to be back riding when racing resumes on Thursday.”