Jorge Navarro to train War Story for Pegasus World Cup
War Story will be trained by Jorge Navarro for the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28, owner Ron Paolucci said.
War Story, winner of the Queens County Stakes at Aqueduct on Dec. 17, left the Parx barn of trainer Mario Serey Jr. Monday afternoon and was being vanned to Gulfstream Park West, where Navarro is based.
On Monday night, Paolucci said the move was made more out of necessity than any disagreement with Serey, who has trained the horse for his last three starts. Paolucci said that Serey could not get his help or himself to Florida in a timely manner for the race.
On Tuesday, Paolucci said that part of the reason Serey could not make it to Florida is that on Jan. 17 Serey must appear at a hearing before the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission regarding the finding of clenbuterol, a bronchodilator, in at least five of his horses that raced at Pennsylvania tracks in December.
Paolucci discussed the fact only after the Paulick Report reported Monday night about four of Serey’s clenbuterol positives. On Tuesday, Serey told Daily Racing Form that he has been notified of five clenbuterol positives.
“It’s not a performance-enhancing drug - we don’t think he’s a cheat - but we would rather move on and not tarnish the race,” Paolucci said Tuesday.
Serey said Tuesday that he told Paolucci about his situation and suggested he move the horse to another trainer for the Pegasus.
“I don’t want any problems," Serey said. "I want to concentrate on Philadelphia Park. I want to concentrate on my case. I said, 'Ron, take him. I appreciate everything you’ve done.'”
All five clenbuterol positives came in a two-week period and none involve War Story. Serey said Grasshoppin was found to have an overage of clenbuterol when he finished second in the Swatara Stakes at Penn National on Nov. 23. There is no ruling on that race in the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission data base.
The commission data base does list the disqualification of Steve’s Philly from first in the second race at Penn National on Dec. 2 and Win Wish from first in the fourth race at Penn National on Dec. 3. The rulings state that Serey waived his right of appeal in those cases.
The other clenbuterol positives Serey is facing concern two runners at Parx, Peacock Strut, who won the sixth race on Dec. 5, and Ruby’s Love, who won the sixth race on Dec. 6. While those horses have been disqualified from purse money, there has been no official ruling handed down about fines or suspensions.
Noting that four of the positives came within a five-day period, Serey believes something is wrong.
“Somebody [messed with] me,” Serey said. “I run so many horses, why does that happen in one week? It’s really weird.”
Serey, the leading trainer at Parx, served three suspensions in 2016 alone for medication violations, including 21 days in September. During that suspension, War Story finished second in the Pennsylvania Derby Champion Stakes. Miguel Penaloza was the trainer of record for that race. Serey has been the trainer for War Story’s last three starts.
Navarro will be the ninth person to train War Story. The Pegasus will be War Story’s 18th career start.
Navarro is the second-leading trainer behind Todd Pletcher at the Gulfstream Park meet, with 11 wins from 44 starters. Paolucci said he has had discussions before with Navarro about working together, but this will be their first runner.
“We wanted somebody we felt was comparable to Mario,” Paolucci said. “Jorge fit the bill.”
Paolucci and his partners on War Story made a deal with pizza-shop owner Dan Schafer to run in the Pegasus. Last May, Schafer put up $1 million to purchase a slot in the Pegasus, but he doesn’t own any horses.
Paolucci said he felt it was important to get War Story to south Florida at least three weeks out from the Pegasus to get acclimated to the weather. From November 2015 through July 2016, War Story trained at Gulfstream Park with trainer Peter Walder, who is not training at the present time.
“I want my horse down there as early as I can,” Paolucci said. “It’s not good to go from 20 above zero to 80 degrees.”
War Story is coming off the best race of his life, a front-running 7 3/4-length victory in the Queens County for which he earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure. In his two starts before the Queens County, War Story finished fourth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile and eighth, 25 1/4 lengths behind Arrogate, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita.
Arrogate and California Chrome, who was beaten a half-length when second in the Classic, are the top two contenders in the Pegasus.