Idol nearing a workout
Idol, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, has resumed training after a 60-day break and is scheduled to have his first workout of the summer later this month.
It is not clear when Idol will return to racing, but trainer Richard Baltas said there is a possibility Idol can be ready for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.
“I’ve got to do what is right for the horse,” Baltas said. “Hopefully, I can get a race into him.
“I’m trying to get him back. He’s coming up to a work in two weeks.”
Baltas said Idol returned to training in June after being sidelined by a “little hiccup.” Idol had workouts in late March and early April before being sidelined.
“He is over that,” Baltas said. “We’ll take it one step at a time.”
Owned by Calvin Nguyen, Idol has won 3 of 6 starts and earned $416,464. In the Big Cap at 1 1/4 miles, Idol finished a half-length in front of Express Train, who starts in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. Maxfield finished third as the even-money favorite in the Big Cap, his only loss in eight starts.
The Big Cap was Idol’s only start at 1 1/4 miles, the same distance as the BC Classic.
“I think he’s a mile-and-quarter horse,” Baltas said. “I’d love to point him to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s the only horse to beat Maxfield.”
Maxfield was the easy winner of two Grade 2 stakes at the Churchill Downs spring meeting – the $400,000 Alysheba Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on April 30 and the $600,000 Stephen Foster Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on June 26 to vault to the fore of the older horse division on dirt.