Burnham Square back on work tab for turf-focused campaign

A year ago at this time, Burnham Square was developing into a Kentucky Derby candidate, winning the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes five weeks after romping to a maiden victory. Burnham Square, who went on to win the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes, made it to the Kentucky Derby but had a tough trip and finished sixth.

As a new class of 3-year-old Kentucky Derby hopefuls will attempt the Holy Bull Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, Burnham Square has started gearing up for a 4-year-old campaign, the focus of which will be turf.

“He’s bred for grass,” trainer Ian Wilkes said Tuesday at Palm Meadows. “What he’s done on dirt was way out of normal.”

:: Play Gulfstream Park with confidence! DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports are available now.

Wilkes is hopeful Burnham Square could develop into a marathon turf specialist. In his lone turf try last year, Burnham Square finished second, beaten a head, in the Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs.

On Sunday, Burnham Square worked a half-mile in 51.79 seconds on the dirt track at Palm Meadows. While it was Burham Square’s first official workout, Wilkes said he had a leg-stretcher a week earlier.

Wilkes said the Elkhorn, a 1 1/2-mile stakes at Keeneland in April, is a potential early-season target with a prep race somewhere beforehand.

Wilkes said he purposely waited until the end of January to get Burnham Square back on the work tab.

“I want him to go longer into the year this year,” Wilkes said. “Gave him a good break. He’s a gelding. Hopefully, he can end up like John Henry.”

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.