Diodoro sets Charles Town Classic as long-range goal for Komorebino Omoide

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The Japanese-bred Komorebino Omoide is developing into an older horse of significance, and while plans for his next move are still being determined following his Monday win in the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park, a long-range goal is the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro said Komorebino Omoide, a 5-year-old son of California Chrome who races for his breeder, Perry Martin, emerged from the Sexton in good order and will remain at Lone Star while plans for his next start are decided.

Earlier this year, Komorebino Omoide ran second to both Hit Show – before he won the Dubai World Cup – and Hall of Fame in separate stakes at Fair Grounds.

“One thing Perry and I talked about a while back – and we never want to put the cart before the horse – but one race we really would like to have another shot at is the Charles Town Classic.” Diodoro said. “He ran third in it last year to Skippylongstocking. I thought he ran really well that day. I think he’s a much better horse 10 months later, so I know that’s a race we definitely want to take another shot at.”

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The Charles Town Classic is Aug. 22.

Komorebino Omoide was a 2 1/4-length winner of the Sexton, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 95. He found himself farther off the pace than usual when he leapt out of the gate at the start. Komorebino Omoide stalked the pace under jockey Ramon Vazquez and rallied up the rail on a track rated sloppy during after a wet morning and afternoon at Lone Star.

“You now, he missed the break, got stopped at least twice. It was impressive if it was a dry track, but add the slop and eating mud and getting checked and that, the horse showed a lot of heart and a lot of grit and I don’t think anyone had won on the rail down the lane” Monday, Diodoro said.

Komorebino Omoide is the first horse Martin, who co-owned California Chrome, sent to Diodoro.

“He called me one day and said ‘I got a horse that’s on his way from Japan, but he’s going to have to be in quarantine for a month if you’d be interested in training him.’ I said, ‘Definitely,’ and it kind of went from there. It’s been a couple of years now and I’ve trained several different horses for him now. He’s been a very nice client, for sure.”

Diodoro won the Sexton for the third year in a row. He also was third in this year’s race with Heroic Move, who rallied from off the pace on the surface that took a strong hit of rain from the time the horses left the paddock through the post parade.

“I’m not sure what we’ll do with him yet,” Diodoro said of Heroic Move. “I didn’t think he would care for that [wet] racetrack and sure enough, he didn’t. And even though he won the race last year, he likes to go a little bit farther than a mile. So, we’ll come up with a plan with him. One race we probably would consider is the Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows.”

Heroic Move was an eight-length winner of the Sunland Park Classic last month over the same 1 1/8-mile distance of the Cornhusker.

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