Martin's barn gets silver lining
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While Carlos Martin had to say goodbye to Bold Journey, a good-looking 3-year-old colt now in the Bill Mott barn, he may have a promising 3-year-old filly in Diamond Collector to help fill the void.
On Sunday, Diamond Collector won a seven-furlong maiden race by 4 1/2 lengths. She had finished second in her first two starts. Martin said he would ultimately like to stretch the filly out in distance.
“I’d like to go old-school and go through some conditions rather than go right to a stakes,” said Martin, who trains Diamond Collector, a daughter of Blame, for NYRA board chairman Marc Holliday. “The one thing I know about is she will run all day. She has a very efficient stride.”
Cardenas back on horses
For the first time in 208 days, jockey Luis Cardenas was on horseback Wednesday morning, exercising six horses during training hours at Belmont Park.
Cardenas got on two horses for George Weaver, two for Rudy Rodriguez, and two for Randi Persaud, his uncle.
:: Want to start playing with a $510 bankroll and have access to free Formulator? Learn more
“It felt good,” he said. “I felt like my body needed this.
“I don’t know about tomorrow,” Cardenas said with a laugh. “It’s been great so far. I’m happy I’m back at the track. I’m happy the racetrack welcomed me back with open arms.”
Cardenas, the sixth leading rider at the 2020-21 Aqueduct winter meet, was injured in a spill at Saratoga on July 16. Cardenas suffered head trauma and back injuries as a result of the incident. He recently completed physical therapy and on Monday he was given clearance to get back on horses by his neurologist.
Cardenas said he is not going to rush his return, as he wants to make sure he’s 100 percent fit, physically and mentally.
“I’m going to try and give myself three or four weeks, but we’ll go day by day,” Cardenas said.
Cardenas was the leading apprentice in wins in 2021 on the NYRA circuit. In a little more than two years, he rode 74 winners, including Runaway Rumour in the Wild Applause Stakes at Belmont last June.
◗ Green Light Go, a recent allowance winner who is pointing to the $125,000 Stymie on Feb. 26, worked five furlongs in 1:01.57 Wednesday morning over the Belmont Park training track. He got his last quarter in 25.26.