Mongolian Saturday taking break in Kentucky

STICKNEY, Ill. – Mongolian Saturday is getting a brief rest at Locust Grove Farm in Kentucky following his ninth-place finish in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.

Mongolian Saturday won the race when it was contested over 5 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland in 2015, but faded steadily after pressing pacesetter Obviously, the eventual winner, going 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

“They went very, very fast in the race,” trainer Enebish Ganbat said.

Mongolian Saturday had a generally unsuccessful international campaign following his BC Sprint win, but came back to form winning the Woodford Stakes in October at Keeneland. Mongolian Saturday finished a respectable fifth last December in the Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin, but Ganbat quickly ruled out a return trip this year.

Mongolian Saturday was found to have ulcers last summer, and Ganbat wants to avoid flying him.

“We are moving our horses from Hawthorne to Gulfstream in 10 days, and I think I will pick him up in Kentucky on the way,” Ganbat said. “We’ll see how he is after we get there before making any plans.”