Meadowlands: Obrigado's comeback continues in Friday’s Preferred

Trainer Paul Kelley was rightfully looking for a retirement home for his champion Obrigado last year after the then 8-year-old had gotten significantly sore with a right hind suspensory issue. “I was just looking for a place to put him,” said Kelley. “With his age and the type of injury it was, I wanted to make sure he had a home.”

Some 14 months later it turns out Obrigado’s residence may in fact be The Meadowlands and Yonkers Raceway this winter. The results of long rest and rehabilitation have been impressive and the winner of $1.8 million will now try to get back on the winning track Friday night at The Meadowlands.

“The condition sheets are black and white,” Kelley said with complete understanding that racing secretaries rarely write conditions for horses that haven’t been active for this period of time. Thus with few options at lower classes, Obrigado’s earnings put him at the highest level when Kelley entered him at Yonkers in early December. “At least they did me a favor and had him draw inside,” Kelley said of the two miles Obrigado raced at Yonkers where he was a non-factor in the outcome.

“He’s definitely going to need racing to get back to a high level,” said Kelley. On Friday Obrigado returns to The Meadowlands and also gets the inside draw with Marcus Miller down to drive. It’s likely another tall order, but Kelley is expecting continued improvement from his soon-to-be 10-year-old gelding. “We’ve continued to ultrasound the leg and it’s been good. I’ve asked my vets and they all say to race him,” said Kelley. “Obrigado has always had some aches and pains but he’s raced with them. He’s just got a great attitude and loves to race.”

The trainer, who has a select few training in New Jersey while he preps his youngsters in Florida, will be making the trip north to prepare Obrigado along with the imported La Grange A for Friday night’s Meadowlands card.

Obrigado faces a solid field of seven in Friday’s featured $30,000 Preferred Handicap that includes last week’s winner Rich And Miserable (post 4) along with 10-time winner in 2019 Southwind Chrome (post 7).

La Grange A is a different type than Obrigado but Kelley likes him nonetheless. The imported son of Muscle Hill drew post eight in a $20,000 high level conditioned trot carded as race seven of 14 on Friday night’s penultimate Meadowlands program of 2019.

“He’s built with more of a diesel engine,” Kelley said. “He’s a bit of a grinder. If you look at his races in Australia his best efforts came going longer distances.” That said, Kelley believes La Grange A certainly has the ability to succeed at this level. “If the trip works out for him he’ll keep plodding along,” said Kelley.

Kelley is hopeful that Obrigado will continue to return to his old form and with that in mind, he’s hopeful that he could race successfully this winter, primarily at Yonkers.

In South Florida, Kelley has 14-head primarily up-and-coming 2 and 3-year-olds. “I’ve got a very nice group,” Kelley said. “I bought some nice New York-bred pacers for Wanda Polisseni at Goshen.”

Kelley also made the rounds in Kentucky and was kind of happy to get in the action early. “We paid $120,000 for a Muscle Hill colt early in the sale that I think would have gone for a lot more had he sold later,” said Kelley of Junto. The yearling is the first colt and seventh foal from the dam that produced 2015’s New York Sire Stakes juvenile filly champion Non Stick.

Kelley trained a 2-year-old filly this year that he had high expectations for in Flying Glider. “She’s a Cantab Hall filly that went some very fast training miles before I entered her,” said Kelley,” I baby-raced her once and turned her out due to soreness. I think she’ll be a nice 3-year-old.”

When Flying Glider’s Muscle Hill half-sister went into the ring at Lexington this fall, Kelley was the high bidder at $250,000. The steeper price was easily explained. “I think Muscle Hill is without question the best sire today,” Kelley said. Captured is currently training with the rest of Kelley’s Florida contingent at Sunshine Meadows.