For Hushion, one last race before retirement

ELMONT, N.Y. – Eternal Vow finished eighth in Friday’s second race at Belmont Park, and now trainer Mike Hushion has one last race to run before he retires.

Hushion has the entry of Jupiter Rising and Voodoo Song in Sunday’s sixth race at Belmont, though Voodoo Song is three deep on the also-eligible list for the first-level New York-bred turf race.

Last month, Hushion, 68, announced that he was retiring at the end of the Belmont meet after more than four decades of training. Since his announcement, Hushion said he’s heard from “a ton of people. An amazing amount of texts and phone calls. Everybody I’ve passed has something nice to say. I guess it’s like going to a wake.”

Hushion said he has no second thoughts.

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“I’m still positive that it’s the right thing for me,” said Hushion, who has 1,426 career victories. His horses have earned more than $52 million.

Most of Hushion’s horses are being divvied up among trainers Michelle Nevin, Todd Pletcher, and Linda Rice. T Loves a Fight, the winner of the Mike Lee Stakes, is going to Nevin.

Hushion said he will be at Belmont on Monday to move the final two horses and “muck out the office.” On Tuesday, he said, he plans to “sleep in, have dinner in the city, and see a Broadway show.”

Hushion previously said he was going to spend a good part of the summer at Saratoga. Asked when he would be arriving there, he said, “Whenever I feel like it. I haven’t used those words very often in my life.”

Seymourdini likely for Forego

After debating whether to cut Seymourdini back in distance or stretch him out, trainer Linda Rice said she likely will choose the former and run Seymourdini in the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 26. Rice was also considering the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 2.

Seymourdini won the $100,000 State Dinner Stakes at 1 1/16 miles by 10 1/2 lengths on July 3, earning a 113 Beyer Speed Figure. Seymourdini’s ultimate goal is the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 2.

“My feeling is, point toward the Forego, and if I’m not satisfied with that, back up to the Kelso,” said Rice, referring to a Grade 2, $350,000 race at a mile at Belmont on Sept. 23.

Seymourdini is 3 for 3 this year – all in one-turn races – with two allowance wins at Laurel and the State Dinner coming by a combined 36 1/4 lengths.

◗ Rice said Matt King Coal did not come out of his last-place finish in the Grade 2 Suburban 100 percent. She said the horse has been in light training but added, “I don’t know where we’re at. Nothing traumatic.”

◗ Rice said Downtown Mama, who won a second-level allowance race Thursday to improve her record to 3 for 3, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 3.

“She’s not ratable enough to take on the Test,” Rice said. “The Prioress makes the most sense timing-wise as well.”

◗ Rice said that Holiday Disguise, who has won her last three starts, including the Bouwerie Stakes, has had a setback and will be out of training for 90 days.