Hofburg targets Mineshaft

Hofburg will make his first start in seven months in the Mineshaft Stakes on Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds, trainer Bill Mott said.

Hofburg, now 5, was one of the better 3-year-olds of his generation but didn’t start between October 2018 and July 2019. He won his comeback race last summer at Saratoga but hasn’t started since.

“He just wasn’t moving well, so we backed off him again, gave him time, brought him back,” Mott said. “He’s doing well again now.”

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Hofburg, a 5-year-old Tapit horse bred and owned by Juddmonte Farms, has only the listed Curlin as a stakes win. He finished second in the Florida Derby and third in Justify’s Belmont before going to the sidelines.

“Of course, it’s never easy, but the goal would be to get him back into Grade 1 competition,” said Mott.

Mott said he also plans to send Mitchell Road for the $100,000 Albert Stall Memorial, a turf-route stakes she won last year, and Classic Covey to the Fair Grounds Stakes, a turf route.