Om closing in on a comeback race

ARCADIA, Calif. – The exciting 3-year-old Om is on the comeback trail, and though he is merely a maiden winner, trainer Dan Hendricks calls the Munnings colt “as anticipated a horse coming back as I’ve ever had.”

There is good reason. When he romped by more than seven lengths in his second start Aug. 9 at Del Mar, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure, Om dusted a field that was no ordinary maiden lineup.

American Pharoah, fifth behind Om, subsequently won consecutive Grade 1 races and was voted champion 2-year-old male. Calculator, the fourth-place finisher, returned to win a Grade 3 and place in two Grade 1 races. Others in the field included Iron Fist, later Grade 1-placed; the maiden winner One Lucky Dane; and Daddy D T, a maiden winner and Grade 1-placed.

Om’s 98 Beyer in August was the sixth-highest by a 2-year-old in 2014, but he has not started since due to swelling in a hind leg.

“Nothing showed up on a nuclear scan, ultrasound, or four sets of X-rays,” Hendricks said. “So, we just gave him time.”

Om is returning in top shape. His five-furlong workout Wednesday was his fourth work on the comeback trail. He was timed in 1:01.40.

“He went off slow and finished up strong – 23 and change the last quarter,” Hendricks said. “He’s about a month away. Where we run him, I have no idea.”