Ride On Curlin, General a Rod get freshenings

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ride On Curlin and General a Rod, who along with Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome were the only horses to run in the entire Triple Crown this year, are both being freshened at Louisville-area farms, their trainers said Wednesday.

The connections of both horses had considered running in some of the major summer stakes with their colts, but after each worked a single time in early July following the Belmont, they chose to give their runners rest instead.

“I didn’t like the way he was acting,” said Billy Gowan, the trainer of Ride On Curlin. “That’s when I pulled the plug.”

Gowan said there was nothing physically amiss with Ride On Curlin, other than lacking his usual energy after the Belmont, a race in which he was eased. Previously, he had been second in the Preakness and a troubled seventh in the Derby.

Gowan said Ride On Curlin likely will return to his Churchill Downs base in mid-August. He doesn’t have a timetable for his return to racing. “I’ll let him tell me when he’s ready,” he said.

General a Rod, seventh in the Belmont after a fourth in the Preakness and an 11th in the Derby, had a similar experience, recording one work July 5 before trainer Mike Maker sent him to the farm.

Maker said General a Rod will be evaluated in the next two weeks before a decision is made on when he will return to training.

Maker’s other Kentucky Derby participant, last-place finisher Vicar’s in Trouble, who ran third Aug. 2 in the West Virginia Derby, has a more active summer and early-fall campaign targeted. Maker said the Sept. 6 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs and the Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand on Oct. 4 would fit in his schedule.

Pedroza nearing return

Jockey Marcelino Pedroza Jr., who broke his collarbone in a spill early in the Ellis Park meet, began getting on horses Tuesday and is set to resume riding at Ellis Park on Aug. 15, agent Joe Pauley said.

Pedroza’s recovery from the injury, which required a plate to be inserted to stabilize multiple fractures in his collarbone, has gone smoothly, Pauley said. His Aug. 15 return would mark approximately six weeks after his fall, which came after a horse he was riding broke down, sending him crashing to the ground.

A 21-year-old native of Panama, Pedroza has 32 wins from 278 mounts in 2014 and has 305 career victories in North America.

On Fire Baby works

Multiple Grade 1 winner On Fire Baby, unraced since finishing fifth in the June 14 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs, continues to train forwardly toward a planned return next month, breezing seven furlongs in 1:27.80 on Wednesday at Churchill.

Trainer Gary “Red Dog” Hartlage opted to bypass Saturday’s Grade 3 Gardenia at Ellis Park with On Fire Baby and is awaiting the Sept. 6 Locust Grove at Churchill Downs.