Preakness winner Rombauer will get break from racing
Rombauer, winner of the Preakness Stakes and third most recently in the Belmont, will be given a freshening of at least 60 days after not training recently “as sharp as he was before the Preakness and Belmont,” trainer Michael McCarthy said late Sunday afternoon.
“He just hasn’t been as sharp coming out of the Belmont,” said McCarthy, who trains Rombauer for John and Diane Fradkin, who bred and own the colt. “We didn’t think the right thing to do was push it. He’s done a lot for us. We’ll do whatever he needs.”
Rombauer recorded three workouts at Santa Anita following the Belmont, the last on July 9. He traveled with McCarthy’s contingent to Del Mar, where he was scheduled for a work this past weekend before McCarthy decided to not press on.
“The Fradkins were more than amenable to giving him some time,” McCarthy said. “He’s run at six different tracks, made three plane trips east.”
Rombauer will be turned out at Peacefield Farm, about an hour northeast of Del Mar in Temecula, Calif.
McCarthy said Rombauer is scheduled to return to training in the fall, and will remain in training as a 4-year-old, with his major goals the early part of 2022 races such as the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup.
Rombauer scored the biggest win of his career in the Preakness after being kept out of the Kentucky Derby to be fresh for the second leg of the Triple Crown. He responded by rallying for a 3 1/2-length victory under Flavien Prat at 11-1, giving McCarthy his first victory in a classic.
He was a distant third in the Belmont, behind Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie.
Rombauer earlier this year was third in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes following a victory on all-weather in the listed El Camino Real Derby. Last year, at age 2, he was second in the Grade 1 American Pharoah and then was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He won his debut on turf last summer at Del Mar, so he has won on grass, all-weather, and dirt.
Overall, he owns three wins in eight starts and has career earnings of $1,040,500.
Rombauer is by Twirling Candy out of the Cowboy Cal mare Cashmere.