Ravalo on the back off an extended layoff looks to take the Karl Boyes Memorial at Presque Isle Downs
The 8-year-old gelding, Ravalo, is not fit and ready to race, as Donald H. Barr trainee is ready to take on a field on nine older sprinters to run over a distance of five and one half furlongs, the $100,000 Karl Boyes Memorial at Presque Isle Downs.
The late running sprinter will relish this opportunity, because it seems that the Karl Boyes Memorial has a lot of speed to offer, which suits the gelded son of Mutakddim, who like to run in late to close in the leaders.
“As he has gotten older, he has become more versatile,” Barr said. “He can come from off the pace, which should work well in this spot.”
“Anytime you give $100,000 away to go five and a half furlongs, you are going to have a bunch of early speed in there,” he said.
Lindy M. Redding’s Ravalo was last seen in action in January, when he participated in the Rise Jim Stakes at Aqueduct racetrack, going over a distance of 6 furlongs. Ravalo completed the order of finish in that race, when he finished fifth to winner, Caixa Eletronica.
Out of Southern Halo mare Momentary Hope, Ravalo capped off his 5 race long 2011 season in fine fashion, when he bowed out with a magnificent victory in the $200,000 Six Bits Stakes on 23 November, 2011, at Penn National racecourse.
Though, Ravalo won the sprint, but according to his trainer it took a lot out of him. “It was what I call a gut-wrencher, it took a lot out of him, out of all of us. “ Barr said.
Coming off a 5 month lay-off, Ravalo had some physical problems which kept him out of racing. “He hasn’t been out in a while,” he said. “It was a series of small things that set him back, but we have them all resolved now.”
Donald Barr isn’t sure what he will do with his gelding after the Karl Boyes Memorial. At the age of 8, the trainer can’t really chalk out an annual plan for the season for him. The conditioner will most probably take one race at a time, as he will ship Ravalo to Presque Isle Downs on 19 June.
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