GI Kentucky Derby winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Country House (Lookin At Lucky) has been ruled out of a start in the GI Preakness S. May 18 after coughing and developing a fever, trainer Bill Mott told TDN Tuesday. The story was first reported by Daily Racing Form.
“He was coughing and we decided to do a complete blood profile right away and see if we could determine if anything was changing, and it was,” Mott told TDN. “The blood profile was abnormal and from this morning until now, he has developed a little bit of a fever.”
Mott added that Country House likely has some kind of infection that, while not expected to shelve him for a long time, could put his status to run in the GI Belmont S. in jeopardy.
“I think the blood work indicated that there was an infection of some sort going on,” the Hall of Fame conditioner said. “It could be a viral deal, you can get a change in the blood profile with a viral deal going on, and then of course a fever can go along with either a bacterial infection or a viral infection. There might be a slight bacterial change going on because the white [blood cell] count was a little elevated. It’s not a normal blood profile, and with the fever and the cough, that all [takes him] off the training list and off the Preakness trail. This is a minimum of a week to 10 days. You never know, it could even mean that he doesn’t run in the Belmont.”
Country House is the first Derby winner not to run in the Preakness since 1996, when Grindstone (Unbridled) was retired with a knee injury.
Mott reflected on the roller coaster of Saturday’s unorthodox Derby leading up to Tuesday’s development, and said his greatest satisfaction came simply from how well Country House performed, regardless of his finishing position or Triple Crown status.
“The most elated and happy we were was when I bumped into my son in the tunnel and we were celebrating, and that was when we finished second,” he said with a laugh. “After that, it was all downhill from there. It’s such a strange scenario; it’s hard to imagine that you’d be as happy finishing second as you would be winning. I don’t think the excitement amongst ourselves really rose any more just because they put his number up. I think the most excited we were was just the way the horse performed. It wasn’t the fact that we got the W or the winner’s trophy, it was the result of everybody’s hard work and the fact that the horse really showed up on that day.”
DRF also reported Tuesday that Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), placed second in the Run for the Roses, would skip the remaining legs of the Triple Crown and point to the GIII Dwyer S. July 6 at Belmont. ‘Rising Star’ Improbable (City Zip), who crossed the line fifth, but was placed fourth in the Derby, was confirmed as a Preakness starter Monday, with Mike Smith to ride. Maximum Security(New Year’s Day), first home, but placed 17th in the Derby, has already been ruled out of the Preakness by owner Gary West, who is attempting to appeal the Derby disqualification.
fonte : TDN
| Reserve Tank Makes It Another Grade 1 Punchestown Festival for Goffs Land Rover |
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Punchestown proved to be another Grade 1 festival for Goffs Land Rover Sale, following on from the top level successes seen at both Cheltenham and Aintree this year. The graduates were headed by Reserve Tank who became a dual Grade 1 winner when landing the Champion Novice Hurdle for trainer Colin Tizzard and owners The Reserve Tankers. Winner of the Grade 1 Mersey Novices Hurdle at Aintree last month, Reserve Tank was sold by Ballincurrig House Stud to Peter and Ross Doyle at the Land Rover Sale 2017 for €35,000.
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RESERVE TANK
Grade 1 Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle
Owner: The Reserve Tankers Trainer: Colin Tizzard Jockey: Robbie Power
Sold by Ballincurrig House Stud to Peter & Ross Doyle at Goffs Land Rover Sale 2017
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Other Land Rover highlights during Punchestown included the victory of the Nicky Henderson trained OO Seven in the Grade 1 Guinness Handicap Chase for owners Christopher and Bridget Hanbury, as well as Heron Heights who took the Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase for Henry DeBromhead and Barry Maloney.
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HERON HEIGHTS
Grade B Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase
Owner: Barry Maloney Trainer: Henry De Bromhead Jockey: Davy Russell
Sold by Ballybrennan Stud to Donal Hassett at Goffs Land Rover Sale 2012
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OO SEVEN
Grade A Guinness Handicap Chase
Owner: Christopher Hanbury Trainer: Nicky Henderson Jockey: Nico de Boinville
Sold by Rathmore Stud to Highflyer Bloodstock Goffs Land Rover Sale 2013
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Festival D’ex, trained by Gordon Elliott for John Doyle, won a strong renewal of the €100,000 Goffs Land Rover Bumper on the opening day. Consigned by Brown Island Stables at last year’s Land Rover Sale, he was bought by Bobby O’Ryan for just €30,000.
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FESTIVAL D’EX
Goffs Land Rover Bumper
Owner: John F Doyle Trainer: Gordon Elliott Jockey: Jamie Codd
Sold by Brown Island Stables to Bobby O’Ryan at Goffs Land Rover Sale 2018
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2019 Goffs Land Rover Sale catalogue is now online
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Pat Smullen Retires
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Pat Smullen | Healy Racing Photographers
Pat Smullen, the nine-time Irish champion jockey, has announced his retirement from race riding.
Smullen, 41, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2018 and has subsequently been undergoing treatment. While his recovery from illness continues to be positive, he has decided, on medical advice, to call time on his career in the saddle.
Writing in his weekly TDN column, he said, “I have had a frank discussion with my doctors and I gave them the full details of the way of life of a jockey, and what I’d have to go through to get back to full fitness, to get back to the weight that I need to be, and to compete at the level I want to compete at. They advised me that I should not compromise my immune system in any way. So, taking that into account, the right thing for me to do is to call it a day.
“I’ve been very fortunate through my career to meet some great people and to ride some very good horses. I have a lot of cherished memories of a great career, and I’m very thankful for that. Now it’s the second chapter of my life. I think everyone has gathered by now that horses are everything in my life. I know nothing else and I’m determined that I’ll still work within the industry and, hopefully, I can be of some benefit.”
Read Pat Smullen’s column here in full, in which he reflects on his successful career as a multiple Classic-winning jockey and acknowledges the people and horses who helped his rise to the top of the sport. (fonte TDN)
