Belmont Park
El Deal gets 60 days off
Chelsea Durand/NYRA El Deal, ridden by Angel Cruz, provides former jockey Andrew Lakeman with his first stakes win as a trainer in the Gold Fever for 3-year-olds.
ELMONT, N.Y. – El Deal, the undefeated 3-year-old stakes-winning sprinter, will be given 60 days off and return in late fall, trainer Andrew Lakeman said Friday.
El Deal has not run since winning the Gold Fever Stakes on May 1, making him 4 for 4 in his career. He worked twice in June, but Lakeman said the horse needs to mature physically before running again.
“His joints need to catch up and remold with his body,” Lakeman said. “They can’t take the stress of continuous training. It’s a much better decision to give him time.”
Lakeman said he hopes to get El Deal back in training in September, with a possible goal of having him ready for the Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct in late November.