Rice may send runners to Korea again in 2018

Papa Shot’s third-place finish in the Keeneland Korea Cup in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday has trainer Linda Rice thinking she may like to try Korea racing again in 2018.

Papa Shot, a 5-year-old New York-bred gelding owned by Barry Schwartz, was beaten 21 lengths by winner London Town in the Korea Cup, but he did earn $114,842. Rice said that Bill Nader, former head of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, approached both her and Schwartz about sending a few horses to Korea for their major night of racing.

“They asked me originally for Seymourdini and I didn’t want to do that,” said Rice, who did not make the trip to Korea herself. “Barry Schwartz was very open to the idea, thought it was something exciting to try.”

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Nader and Schwartz worked together when both were in upper management positions at the New York Racing Association.

“I said ‘Okay, let’s do it,’” Rice said. “It’s a little scary shipping a horse that far away, but for a first venture there I thought it went pretty well. Third money was not bad. They pay all expenses. I may be more inclined to send one horse for the Cup and one for the Sprint.”

The Ken McPeek-trained The Truth Or Else finished fourth in the Sprint.

Meanwhile, Rice on Tuesday was in Saratoga, where Matt King Coal worked six furlongs in 1:13.09 and Seymourdini worked five furlongs in 1:00.01 over the main track. Matt King Coal is expected to run in the Grade 2 Kelso on Sept. 23. Seymourdini, who has not raced since winning the State Dinner Stakes by 10 1/2 lengths at Belmont on July 4, is likely to await the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler on Oct. 28.

For Seymourdini, it was his second breeze back since getting a vacation at Dr. Patty Hogan’s Farm in central New Jersey.

“His first breeze was good, his second breeze was better,” Rice said.

With the Aqueduct backstretch opening this weekend, Rice was planning to move Matt King Coal and Seymourdini from Saratoga to Belmont, while shipping some horses to Aqueduct.

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