Awesome Feather may return to training by month's end

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Awesome Feather, the undefeated 2-year-old filly Eclipse Award champion, could return to training before the end of the month.

Trainer Chad Brown said Awesome Feather, who was discovered to have a tendon injury shortly after her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and subsequent purchase by Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs, is currently walking under tack at Brown’s barn at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, Fla.

“She’s been tack-walking for about a week,” said Brown. “So far so good, and hopefully she’ll be able to go back to the track soon. Right now we’re taking little baby steps with her. If all goes well she could start jogging in about two weeks, and then we’ll just see what happens from there.”

Awesome Feather was purchased by Stronach for $2.3 million out of the Fasig-Tipton November Sale just two days after she completed her undefeated championship season with a 2 1/4-length victory in the Juvenile Fillies. Brown noticed something amiss with the filly almost immediately after her arrival from Kentucky and said she has yet to go to the track at the training center.

Mike Rogers, business manager for Adena Springs, confirmed last month that Awesome Feather had a “profile in her tendon” and that the injury was being treated cautiously because of the threat it could become career ending.

Awesome Feather, who has won all six career starts, was purchased as a broodmare prospect by Adena, according to Rogers, although the immediate plan following the sale was to race her at 3.