Royal Currier to snub Sunshine Millions Sprint for True and Blue Stakes at the Big A
The connections of eight-time stakes winning, Royal Currier, were briefly considering shipping the son of Red Bullet to south Florida to run in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint in which he finished third last year, but his connections took a U-turn
and decided to run in the $75,000 True and Blue Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack on 9 January, 2013. Royal Currier will be making his 5-year-old debut in the True and Blue Stakes.
Trained by Patricia Farro for owner MAT Stables, Royal Currier is following the similar pattern as far as distance is considered, as he has run over 6-furlong sprints throughout 2012, and is looking to keep the familiarity of the distance at least on the
track.
After winning two back-to-back races, the Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park, and at the same venue winning the Teddy Drone Stakes last year, Royal Currier turned in a couple of subpar performances, but bounced back really well to finish a solid second
behind, Saginaw, in the Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack on 15 December, 2012.
“He ran well here last time out,” Rice said. “I think we decided to keep him in New York, and hopefully that’ll keep him in good form. He had a couple of subpar performances. He ran well for us in the Gravesend.”
Out of Lite the Fuse mare Top of the League, Royal Currier raced at Belmont Park after winning the Teddy Drone Stakes in the Affiliate Stakes, but finished third on the day to winner Sean Avery.
He was expected to improve, but has a bad trip in the De Francis Dash at Laurel Park, and finished way behind the lot in ninth place in the field of 11 on 27 October, 2012.
Prior to the DE Francis Dash, Royal Currier was scratched from the Grade 1 Vosburgh Invitational at Belmont Park.
“Once he arrived, we were just getting familiar with him. We did do quite a bit of gate work trying to address that issue,” Rice said. “He also had had a couple of small injuries that we gave a chance to heal up.”
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