Plans uncertain for Manny Wah, Liora
It’s possible that neither Manny Wah, who was third in the Lecomte, or Liora, who was fourth in the Silverbulletday, will return for the next round of stakes races on Feb. 16 at Fair Grounds.
Both horses, trainer Wayne Catalano said Sunday morning, appeared to have come out of their respective races in good shape, but Catalano said he would take a measured approach in planning a winter schedule.
Manny Wah ran well enough in the Lecomte, using his speed to get a forward position after breaking from post 12. He held the lead in upper stretch but had no answer for War of Will’s strong finish.
“The jury’s still out on how far he wants to go,” Catalano said. “He had to be used a little from that post, got caught a little wide. He ran a good race. We haven’t decided anything yet.”
Liora upset the Grade 2 Golden Rod on Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs but faded out of contention Saturday after tracking a moderate pace. The next race in her division is the Rachel Alexandra, but Catalano said he wasn’t ready to settle on a specific plan for the filly.
*** First Premio “was a little tired” Sunday morning, trainer Mark Casse said, following a strong comeback win in the $125,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap, so it’s far from certain the horse returns for the Fair Grounds Handicap on Feb. 16.
