Aqueduct: Terranova forgoes Florida this year

Trainer John Terranova usually sends a string of horses to Gulfstream for the winter, but this year he opted to keep his horses solely in New York while turning out some of his grass horses.

“Why not run for the money here?’’ said Terranova, who has 36 horses stabled at Belmont and has already won three races this meet. “Horses that have their conditions I’d prefer to keep them here. I have no problem keeping good horses here through the winter.’’

Terranova hopes to be able to bring back the stakes winner Swift Warrior and stakes-placed Fantasy of Flight at this meet. Swift Warrior won the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park in March before sustaining a condylar fracture while training for the Blue Grass.

“He’s coming back from that injury and he’s coming back really well,’’ Terranova said. “I’m really looking forward to him later in the winter.’’

Fantasy of Flight injured a foot when finishing second in an allowance race at Saratoga on closing day. Prior to that, Fantasy of Flight won a maiden race and finished second in the Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill in the spring.

“She’s ready to run again, we entered but the ‘one-other-than’ didn’t go,’ ’’ Terranova said.

One of the Terranova’s better horses is More Than Love, who won the Miesque Stakes at Hollywood Park on the turf in December. Terranova has kept More Than Love in training and does plan to run here in the $100,000 Florida Oaks at 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs on the turf.

More Than Love breezed three furlongs in 36.70 seconds last Saturday.