Instagrand won't race again this year

ARCADIA, Calif. – Instagrand, the precocious California-based 2-year-old colt ranked among the early favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, will be turned out and aim for a 3-year-old campaign.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Tuesday that owner Larry Best decided to suspend the colt’s 2-year-old campaign following two runaway wins – a 10-length debut victory June 29 at Los Alamitos, and a 10 ¼-length romp in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes on Aug. 11 at Del Mar.

Hollendorfer said there is nothing wrong with Instagrand. Best simply “wants to freshen the horse up,” he said.

Instagrand was always among the most high-profile juveniles in California. Best purchased the Into Mischief colt for $1.2 million at a March sale of 2-year-olds. The colt worked fast all spring, won his debut at 2-5 odds, and was 1-10 when he won the Best Pal with a 92 Beyer Figure.

Best decided to skip the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3 with Instagrand, who worked a half-mile at Santa Anita on Sept. 10, presumably to train for a fall campaign. That was the final work of the season for Instagrand, who will ship to Kentucky for a freshening.

Even without Instagrand, Best and Hollendorfer have top contenders in both Grade 1 stakes for 2-year-olds opening weekend of the Santa Anita fall meet. Rowayton, runner-up in the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3, will stretch to two turns for the American Pharoah Stakes on Sept. 29. The filly Brill, fourth as the favorite in the Del Mar Debutante, will run Sept. 29 in the Chandelier Stakes. Both races are at 1 1/16 miles.

Rowayton and Brill will have a new rider. Hollendorfer said that Best decided to switch from Drayden Van Dyke to Florent Geroux. Best was not available for comment Tuesday morning.

Hollendorfer also plans to start Gunmetal Gray in the American Pharoah.