Horse Racing: Looking at Lucky out of Travers 2010 Due to Fever
Looking at Lucky’s fans were taken aback when they found out about the abdication of the Haskell Invitational Stakes’ winner this year via facebook. The announcement was made official by trainer Bob Baffert that the 3 year old colt will not be able to make it to the Travers this year. After winning the 1$ million Haskell S. he suffered from fever of about 102 degrees, due which he was treated with heavy doses of penicillin. The side effects of the strong anti biotic have left the winner horse medically unfit to run for at least 3 weeks, thus rendering him incapable of participating in the 1 $ million Travers race scheduled on the 28th of August.
He showed symptoms of fever soon after the race, as he was seen to have failed to clear his feeding tub, when he was about to be shipped to Saratoga. He has been left in California for at least a week to ensure his recover; however, he still will not be able to compete at the Traver’s Race Course. To all his trainers and breeders he looks perfectly healthy.
The capable horse has won three out of five of his start session. In 2009, he was rated as top 2 year old in the country by the Eclipse Award Honours because he won five out of six starts. He only lost the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile by one position.
Now that the colt will not be a part of the Travers, the field is open for the second and third place finishers of the recent Haskell S, First Dude and Super Saver respectively. Super Saver is also the winner of the Kentucky Derby this year. Trappe Shot, a runner up of the Haskell, is also being considered by his trainer Kiaran McLaughlin for both the Travers and King’s Bishop on the Travers undercard. He is more likely to go for the Travers, now that one of the tough competitors is no more part of the race.
First Dude’s trainer, Dale Romans came back to his bam on the Spa backstretch after witnessing his colt running courageously and making it to the third position in the $1 million Haskell Invitational. First Dude was sent back to Churchill Downs in Louisville, where he will stay for the next few weeks and will be shipped to Saratoga for the Travers. So far, the horse has won just one in seven starts; his last five starts have all been in Grade 1 races. The horse is a front-running specialist, and was third in Belmont and Blue Grass and second in the Preakness. His trainers claim that he’s just on the verge of beating these horses.
Trainer, Pletcher, and owner, Win Star Farm, of the Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver say that it is not a big deal for the horse to stay in Saratoga for long. They think the horses get a better sleep in the cool environment of Saratoga, which gives them the energy and freshness to work in the day.
The event was much awaited for because it was to bring the best of Jim Dandy and Sunday’s Haskell Invitational group. Sports analysts and trainers considered the Travers to be the most important race of the Saratoga events. Super Saver is seen as the potential top 3 year old racehorse, since he has already won the Kentucky Derby and now is heading towards the Travers.
A mixed reaction is received by the general public, fans and the spectators. Trainers claim that he will be shipped to Saratoga when he recovers, but those who wanted to see him running in the Travers are seen to be greatly disappointed. While those who are not fond of his performances, are glad that other, more talented racehorses will get a chance to come to the lime light en route the Travers, which in it itself is a big event. Some fans say they would have hated to see the top three year old horses of the country compete in the premier this summer.
Tags: