Domestic Spending back in training with eye on summer return

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Domestic Spending, the multiple Grade 1 winner who was scratched from last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar with a suspensory issue, will begin galloping at Saratoga next week with the hopes of returning to the races later this summer, trainer Chad Brown said this week.

In 2021, Domestic Spending dead-heated for win with Colonel Liam in the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs and won outright the Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park. He finished second, a neck behind Two Emmys, as the 2-5 favorite in the Mister D Stakes (formerly the Arlington Million) in August. He was entered in the BC Turf at Del Mar, where he was the 4-1 second choice on the morning line, but scratched two days before the race due to a suspensory issue in his left foreleg.

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Brown said Domestic Spending has been jogging at Payson Park, a training center in Florida, but would be moved to Saratoga sometime next week.

“He’s going to start galloping at Saratoga next week,” Brown said. “The earliest we’d see the horse at the races would be at Saratoga.”

Brown said Domestic Spending was just given time for the suspensory ligament to heal.

“We’re bringing him back slowly,” Brown said. “So far everything looks normal. He’s sound. It’s going to be a week-to-week evaluation and hopefully we can get him back. I’ve had horses come back from it and do well. It just depends on the horse.”

Domestic Spending, a 5-year-old gelding by Kingman owned by Seth Klarman, has a record of six wins from eight starts. As a 3-year-old, he won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and the then listed Saratoga Derby Stakes.