Little Mike taking extended vacation

Any chance of Little Mike returning to action here at Gulfstream Park this winter ended earlier this month when owner-trainer Carlo Vaccarezza sent the four-time Grade 1 winner back to the farm in Ocala. Vaccarezza had Little Mike in training here throughout the fall and got him up to an open gallop on the turf in mid-December and a three-furlong breeze over the main track on Christmas Eve before opting to postpone his star’s comeback once again.

“I just didn’t like the way he was going, so I sent him to the farm to swim for 60 days,” said Vaccarezza. “He owes us nothing so if he’s not 100 percent, we’re not going to race him again.”

Little Mike has not started since winning the Flying Pidgeon Stakes here in May. The 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, now, has captured 14 of 29 starts in his career for earnings of more than $3.5 million.