Parx Racing: Rod's Five Star finally gets his chance

What does a trainer do with a horse ready to run for two months when he is unable to find a suitable spot for his comeback from knee surgery? In Ed Lehman’s case, he continues to keep Rod’s Five Star sharp by working him quickly every two weeks.

Rod’s Five Star, who has posted six consecutive bullet workouts since Oct. 26, will make his first start since April in Monday’s $38,000 allowance feature at Parx Racing. The six-furlong race is restricted to Pennsylvania-breds who have not won two allowance or stakes for statebreds, or nonwinners-of-three races lifetime.

Rod’s Five Star, a stakes winner to close out his 4-year-old campaign in December 2012, went to the sidelines following just two starts in early 2013.

“He came out of that race with a chipped knee,” said Lehman, who trains Rod’s Five Star for Silver Rod Stables. “The chip was in the upper part of the joint, which isn’t hard to fix.”

Dr. Patty Hogan, who operates a state-of-the-art medical facility in central New Jersey, advised Lehman to give Rod’s Five Star about 60 days to recuperate. “I gave him 120 days, to be sure,” Lehman said. “Now he’s 100 percent sound. He’s been working great.”

Lehman said he intended to run Rod’s Five Star about six weeks ago in a similar allowance for Pa.-breds, but that card was canceled due to bad weather. His plans to race Rod’s Five Star in a sprint stakes in either Maryland or New York were foiled by a quarantine that has been in effect at Parx since Nov. 13 due to the equine herpesvirus. Parx-based horses are not allowed to leave the grounds.

Lehman considered pointing Rod’s Five Star to the $75,000 Valley Forge in December, a race the gelding won in 2012, but the stakes, like all others scheduled since the quarantine began, was canceled.

A suitable allowance with a $50,000 purse filled as an extra race on New Year’s Eve, but Lehman couldn’t enter Rod’s Five Star because he had just worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 two days earlier.

“So this race on Monday was the next-best option,” Lehman said. “I’m expecting him to run big.”

Lehman said Stewart Elliott will ride Rod’s Five Star when the now 6-year-old breaks from post 6 in a field of seven Monday. Elliott was also named on Major Highway, part of an uncoupled entry for Parx’s 2013 leading trainer, Pat Farro.

Major Highway is seeking his third straight win and his fourth victory in his last five starts. The fourth-place finisher from Major Highway’s most recent victory on Nov. 25, Adirondack King, came back to win last Tuesday’s $50,000 Parx feature with a 99 Beyer Speed Figure.