Immortal Eyes returns at favorite track in Winter Handicap

It certainly looked like the end of the line for Immortal Eyes when the then-9-year-old millionaire finished far back against bottom-level claimers at Saratoga last summer, his fourth straight loss after he was sold following the death of his owner, Bobby Abbo. Instead of being retired, however, Immortal Eyes was resold and sent back to the trainer who guided the sprinter to his greatest success, Maryland-based Damon Dilodovico.

Dilodovico, cautiously optimistic there’s still some good racing left in the old gelding, is bringing back Immortal Eyes as a 10-year-old in Wednesday night’s $30,000 Winter Handicap at Charles Town. The race marks a return to the horse’s favorite distance and track. Immortal Eyes has 11 wins and 3 seconds in 14 starts at Charles Town, racing in ultra-short 4 1/2-furlong sprints.

“I’m hoping he’s not finished,” Dilodovico said of Immortal Eyes, who enjoyed his best season in 2013, when he won five stakes, including the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park, and $427,500 of his $1.1 million bankroll. “He acts like he still wants to race. I’m excited to run him.”

Dilodovico credits Ned Williams, a friend of Abbo who races under the name Five Hellions Farm, for going up to Saratoga last August and arranging a deal to buy Immortal Eyes from owner-trainer David Jacobson for about $20,000.

“Ned asked to look at the horse, and he could tell he wasn’t happy up there,” Dilodovico said. “We took our time with him and got him happy again. We didn’t want to run him for a tag, and we’ve been waiting to find the right race at Charles Town for him and thought this might be a good place to try and get his confidence back.”

The six opponents Immortal Eyes will face in his comeback include Greenway Court, a 10-time winner at Charles Town, including the 2013 Dash for Cash.

KEY CONTENDERS

Immortal Eyes (Last 3 Beyers: 51-74-76)

◗ He returns to Charles Town for the first time since finishing second in the Charles Town Dash, one day before owner Bobby Abbo died of cancer at age 69.

◗ He shows four workouts since November, including one that was the fourth-best of 58 breezes at a half-mile on Jan. 3 at Laurel Park.

Greenway Court (Last 3 Beyers: 83-80-81)

◗ He missed by a neck in his bid to repeat in the Dash for Cash in mid-October, then returned to score by four lengths on Dec. 6, his 10th win in 22 starts locally.

Peb Hughes (Last 3 Beyers: 66-81-77)

◗ This consistent 7-year-old won 4 of 8 starts in 2014.

◗ He shows a bullet workout from the gate on Jan. 7 for his first start since early October.