Flying Glitter debuts for new barn

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Dr. Greg Fox has been a licensed racetrack veterinarian since 1989 and therefore knows a little about who can and who can't train a racehorse. He does not equivocate when speaking of Ronny Werner, with whom he shares as clients Richard and Nancy Kaster.

"Ronny did an absolutely tremendous job with the care and management of Flying Glitter," said Fox.

The subject arises because the Kasters in late September moved Flying Glitter - who won two graded stakes and nearly $600,000 in 16 races under Werner's care - to the Lexington farm that Fox owns and operates adjacent to the Thoroughbred Training Center.

Fox, 44, is a close adviser to the Kasters in regard to breeding, sales, and virtually all aspects of their far-flung horse business. He became a licensed trainer in February 2005, and he hopes he has Flying Glitter ready to run a winning race in the Wednesday feature at Churchill Downs, a $58,500 allowance that goes as the ninth of 10 races.

"I'm very happy with the way she's been training and eating and everything," said Fox.

Noting that Flying Glitter appeared to go off form when finishing poorly in her last two starts for Werner, he said, "Sometimes it's hard to turn around fillies when they reach this age, but I'm enthusiastic about the opportunity to have a filly like this."

A full field of 10 fillies and mares plus four also-eligibles is entered in the one-mile turf race, which has similar conditions to the single race that Flying Glitter has run over the Churchill course. That was on Juneo28, when she won impressively, leading all the way.

"Hopefully we'll see the old Flying Glitter," said Fox.

If the old Flying Glitter does not resurface, then the race could be won by Dash of Humor or Honey Rose, the respective one-two finishers in the Sept. 26 Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf at Kentucky Downs.

While Dash of Humor followed that effort with a creditable sixth-place finish in the Cardinal Handicap at Churchill on Nov. 5, Honey Rose fared even better in her lone subsequent outing, an impressive allowance victory at Keeneland on Oct. 26.

Two allowances, races 7 and 8, directly precede the feature on Wednesday, when the finals of the meet-long handicapping contest also will be staged, in the Joe Hirsch Media Center.

More than $5,000 in cash and two berths in the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championships in Las Vegas in January are at stake in the contest.