Nutella Fella, Becky's Joker eye spring return

Nutella Fella, who upset the Grade 1 Hopeful at 54-1 last September, and Becky’s Joker, the 21-1 winner of the Grade 3 Schuylerville in July, are both in training at separate facilities in Ocala, Fla., and are being prepared for a late spring return, trainer Gary Contessa said Sunday.

Nutella Fella is at the Oak Ridge training center in Ocala and, according to Contessa, had his first three-furlong workout last Friday. Last fall, while preparing for the Champagne, Nutella Fella was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture in a hind ankle. Contessa said that had he worked Nutella Fella one more time it would have likely resulted in a condylar fracture.

Contessa credited Dr. Luis Castro with prompting him to get an MRI done on the ankle after regular X-rays didn’t reveal anything.

“Dr. Castro said ‘I just think there’s something there, we need to do an MRI,’ ” Contessa said.

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Contessa said Nutella Fella underwent a minor surgical procedure.

After winning the Schuylerville as a first-time starter on opening day of the 2023 Saratoga meet, Becky’s Joker ran back in the Adirondack on Aug. 6 and finished seventh. Contessa said shortly thereafter Becky’s Jocker began to lose it mentally.

“She became mentally fragile,” Contessa said.

Physically, though, Contessa said Becky’s Joker, “if it’s imaginable she’s bigger than she was last year. She’s a monster. She’s doing really, really well.”

Contessa sent Becky’s Joker to Nick de Meric’s Eclipse Training Center in Ocala for her break.

Contessa said Becky’s Joker is further along in her training than is Nutella Fella, and could be ready to return to the races in May. Contessa said Nutella Fella is more likely to return in June.

Contessa said both horses will likely ship in to Saratoga when that track opens its backstretch in mid-April.

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