Lea to take another shot at Constitution in Dubai

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Bill Mott has confirmed that Lea will make his next start in the Dubai World Cup, where he’ll have an opportunity to avenge his setback at the hands of Constitution in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap here earlier this winter.

Lea returned from an 11-month layoff and overcame an eventful trip to defend his title in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope on Jan. 10. But he fell three-quarters of a length short to the front-running Constitution when the pair met for the first time in the Donn.

“I’ve been thinking about going to Dubai ever since he ran as well as he did in the Hal’s Hope,” said Mott. “And I thought he came back to run a very good race in the Donn. To me, visually, it looked like he was getting to the winner at the end.”

Lea registered a 1 3/4-length victory over Will Take Charge in the 2014 Donn, after which he went to the sidelines for the remainder of the year.

“He’s really doing well, he looks marvelous, and it seems like he’s continued to move forward with every race,” said Mott. “He’s had a couple of easy breezes since the Donn, no hard works, and I’ll probably breeze him a couple of more times before he boards the plane for Dubai on the 17th. I may do a little blowout over there, but I won’t do too much.”

Mott, who won the inaugural World Cup with Cigar in 1996, said he’s glad Meydan now has a dirt track rather than the old Tapeta surface. Mott had little success over the synthetic surface with Royal Delta in the World Cup. She finished ninth in 2012 and 10th in 2013.

“I’m hoping now that they’ve got a dirt track, something similar to what we run on here, things will work out better than they did for us with Royal Delta,” said Mott.

Lea’s regular rider, Joel Rosario, will retain the mount in the World Cup.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said the decision to send Constitution to the Dubai World Cup was an easy one.

“He’s in good form, he’s doing well, the timing is good, and it’s a great opportunity for him,” said Pletcher, who trains Constitution for WinStar Farm and Twin Creeks Racing.

Commissioner, who had been under consideration for the World Cup prior to his sixth-place finish in the Donn, could make his next start in the Grade 3 Skip Away here March 28, Pletcher said.