Ruler on Ice back in training after laying off for a while after the Clark Handicap
Trainer Kelly Breen reported that his 3-year-old gelding, Ruler on Ice, came up with a little lung infection coming out of the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on 25 November, 2011, at Churchill Downs to winner Wise Dan when running over a distance of 1 1/8 miles
on dirt under jockey Garrett Gomez.
However, the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner, Ruler on Ice, is feeling better, hence, back in training for trainer Kelly Breen.
The Kentucky bred son of Roman Ruler, out of mare Champagne Glow by Saratoga Six, Ruler on Ice isn’t in the running for an Eclipse Award in his 3-year-old division, but he did manage to land the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes right under from favourites, Animal
Kingdom and Shackleford over Belmont Park’s wet, sloppy track.
After the Triple Crown, Ruler on Ice ran a powerful Grade 1 Haskell Invitational where he finished third to winner Coil and Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner, Shackleford at Monmouth Park on 1 July, 2011, over at 1 1/8 miles on dirt.
Fourth in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, and in the million dollar race, the gelding had a rough trip, but still managed a fourth place finish just a whisker away from finishing on the money over the classic distance of 1 ¼ miles.
In his first Grade 2 race of his career, Ruler on Ice came back strongly with a powerful run down the stretch, steam rolling opponents except one, To Honor and Serve, who beat Ruler on Ice to the finish line as he finished second in the 1 1/8 mile event
at Parx Racing.
Ruler on Ice against so many brilliant colts and geldings finished third in the $5 million Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic to winner Drosselmeyer and runner up Game on Dude over at 1 ¼ miles at Churchill Downs, and capped off his season with a fifth place
finish in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap again at Churchill Downs.
“He came up with a little lung infection coming out of the Clark, but he’s back training at Palm Meadows and should have a work around the first of the year,” Breen said. “We’ll get him ready for a race in February, either the Donn in Florida or the Strub
in California.”
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