Recruiting Ready Sharp in Half-Mile Breeze Thursday at Laurel
Recruiting Ready Sharp in Half-Mile Breeze Thursday at Laurel
Tesio Possible for Multiple Graded Stakes-Placed 3-Year-Old Colt
Live Racing Returns with Nine-Race Program Friday
LAUREL, MD – Sagamore Farms’ multiple graded stakes-placed 3-year-old Recruiting Ready returned to the work tab with a sharp half-mile breeze over Laurel Park’s main track Thursday morning.
Trainer Horacio DePaz was aboard for the move, timed in 47.20 seconds, the fastest of 19 horses at the distance. It was the first local work for the sophomore son of Algorithms since returning from his winter stay in South Florida.
“He’s a really good work horse so that’s kind of a typical work for him. He’s really taken a liking to Laurel and he’s in really good form,” DePaz said. “He’s doing good. Fitness-wise, he’s there. He came up from Florida in real good fitness, and we just kind of wanted to give him a little bit of space from his race to his work. He’s maintaining very well.”
Recruiting Ready returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since his unveiling last spring at historic Pimlico Race Course with a one-length optional claiming allowance going six furlongs March 10 at Laurel.
Prior to that race, Recruiting Ready had run five consecutive stakes at 2 and 3, finishing second in the Bashford Manor (G3) and third in the Iroquois (G3). He was second in the Saratoga Special (G2) to Gunnevera, the program favorite for Saturday’s $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park, but disqualified to fourth for interference.
“It was a huge thing for his confidence,” DePaz said. “He’s always been the kind of horse that puts in very good efforts and then gets caught a few strides before the wire or right at the wire. For his mental standpoint he needed that boost of confidence and hopefully, moving forward, he can build off of that.”
DePaz said he would like to keep Recruiting Ready with straight 3-year-olds and is considering all options, including the $125,000 Federico Tesio April 22 at Laurel. The 1 1/8-mile Tesio is a ‘Win and You’re In’ race for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1) May 20.
“Honestly I’d like to do a two-other-than but unfortunately right now that would be against older horses. Just to continue to build confidence, obviously keeping him with 3-yar-old company would probably be a huge advantage for us but then you’d have to ship around and move him around,” DePaz said. We’re just trying to do whatever’s the easiest for him just to continue to build confidence.
“We’re looking at all options, whether it’s at Oaklawn or the Tesio, just different things,” he added. “I’m not absolutely sure yet. We’re just kind of seeing how he’s doing. Obviously off of this work the options are pretty wide open for him.”
Live racing returns to Laurel Park with a nine-race program Friday. Post time is 1:10 p.m.
