Little Vic will look to rebound in John Nerud Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Little Vic, who bled when finishing last in the Grade 1 Carter on April 8 at Aqueduct, will return to the races in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 John Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park.

Little Vic brought excellent form into the Carter where his connections were confident he was going to run a big race, but the horse was pressing a half-mile in 44.84 seconds before retreating.

“He surprised me that he bled,” trainer Juan Carlos Avila said. “Maybe the 44-second half-mile was too much for Little Vic.”

Avila said Little Vic has worked six time at Monmouth Park since the Carter and was not found to have bled after any of those workouts. On June 18, he went a half-mile in 46.20 – the fastest of 177 half-mile workouts at Monmouth that day.

“Easy. Crazy easy,” Avila said.

Prior to the Carter, Little Vic had three wins and two seconds in his previous five starts, including a 1 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3 Tom Fool at Aqueduct for which he earned a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure. Last November, he won the City of Laurel Stakes at Laurel and was beaten a nose by Drafted in the Gravesend.

A field of seven was entered in the Nerud, including Candy Man Rocket, Sheriff Bianco, Synthesis, Three Technique, Twisted Ride, and Weyburn.

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