Owner looking ahead with Verger
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Verger, a flashy maiden winner at Saratoga last summer, will make his first start of 2016 in the featured ninth race Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs, a first-level, $23,000 allowance covering 1 1/16 miles on turf. The race is for horses ages 4 and up and drew a field of eight.
Heidi Cecil of Imagine Racing bought Verger for $50,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in September 2013 and sold him for $210,000 as a 2-year-old in training at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. the following March. Verger raced once as a juvenile, finishing 10th in a maiden special weight race on the main track at Belmont Park, before being switched to turf for his 3-year-old season last year.
At Saratoga last August, Verger scored by 3 1/4 lengths in a maiden $75,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up and was claimed from trainer Chad Brown by Imagine Racing.
“We knew the horse, and we really liked him,” Cecil said.
Verger, a colt by Pulpit, raced once more last year, finishing seventh on the Belmont turf in a $40,000 claimer for non-winners of two races.
“We claimed him off Chad Brown, and the horse was in good condition, but he was just body sore, and we thought he needed a break,” Cecil said.
Cecil said Verger, listed at 8-1 on the track’s morning line, isn’t fully cranked for Wednesday’s race.
“We’re basically putting him in just to see where we are with him, and hopefully it will be a nice race for him,” Cecil said. “We’re just trying to bring him back easily. He’s been training good, he’s sound, and he looks good.”
Verger shows two recent breezes at Hunter Farm Training Center in Ocala, Fla., including an easy five furlongs in 1:04.80 on April 7. Laurine Fuller-Vargas is listed as his trainer, and Jorge Vargas will ride him for the first time. Cecil said that after Wednesday’s race, Verger likely will head to Monmouth Park. She said she hopes to eventually stand the horse at stud in Ohio.
The two favorites for Wednesday’s allowance are High Side (5-2) and Gourmet Delight (7-2). High Side, trained by Gerald Aschinger, just missed at this level as the favorite last out April 6, losing by a head to Natural Order. Leading local jockey Antonio Gallardo retains the mount. Gourmet Delight has one win from 22 starts and was fourth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths, at this level last out March 16 for trainer Derek Ryan.