Acclamation back to the worktab, turned in some light training ahead of the spring season
They don’t come better than Acclamation, as the 6-year-old has finally come to the party, backed up with a scrumptious five-race winning streak to cap off his 5-year-old season in 2011, which includes 3 back to back grade 1 races and a couple of grade 2 races to start and end the streak.
However, the finalist for the Eclipse Awards as the nation’s outstanding turf male and outstanding older male, is not ready to hang up his saddle, as he looks to extend his winning streak and for that, he has come back to light training, eyeing the spring races for 6-year-olds and above.
Trained by Donald Warren for owners, Mary and Peter Hilvers, E. W. Johnston and Judy Johnston, Acclamation, who recently turned 6 this year, started jogging for a week in late December, with a mix of jogging and walking, according to his trainer.
Acclamation is exiting a victory in the Grade 2 Hirsch Turf Championship at Santa Anita Park's turf course, on 2 October, 2011, at about 1 ¼ miles, and he can kick off his 2012 season before the end of the current Santa Anita winter-spring meet.
“We’re taking our time,” Warren said. “He did a little jogging, and we’re walking for a few days. He’ll probably get ready pretty quickly. We’ll take it slow early.”
The California bred son of Unusual Heat, out of mare Winning in Style by Silveyville, Acclamation initiated his five-race winning streak with a win in the Grade 2 Jim Murray Handicap at Hollywood Park, over 1 ½ miles.
He then remarkably landed three grade 1 races on the trot, landing the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap, also at Hollywood Park, and then moving on to Del Mar, where he won the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes, capturing the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at the same venue as well.
After his win in the Grade 1 Turf Hirsch Championship, Acclamation was diagnosed with a bruised foot, which eliminated his chances for the Breeders’ Cup.
“I think it’s pretty much gone, unless it flares up again when we get to working on him,” Warren said of the foot. Hence, Acclamation is back in training to keep doing the good work for his more than content connections.
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