Runhappy's next goal Met Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. - About 12 hours after Runhappy won his fourth consecutive stakes in Saturday’s Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer Laura Wohlers opened her cell phone to check on the crack sprinter.

Through an app that provided pictures from Runhappy’s stall on the backstretch, Wohlers zoomed in on the feed tub. The photo showed nothing, which was what Wohlers wanted to see. Runhappy finished his overnight meal after winning his sixth consecutive race.

A chance to further stretch that streak is unlikely to take place until May. Wohlers and owner Jim McIngvale emphasized after the Malibu that Runhappy’s main goal is the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park. The Met Mile has been part of the undercard for the Belmont Stakes in recent years and that race is scheduled for June 11.

Wohlers said on Sunday that a prep race such as the Churchill Downs Stakes at seven furlongs on May 7 or a race at Belmont Park in May is a possibility. The stakes schedule for the spring-summer meeting at Belmont Park has not been published.

A more immediate plan for Runhappy is leaving California. The colt was scheduled for a 20-hour van ride on Monday to a farm near College Station, Texas, where Wohlers said he will be rested for a month before resuming light training in February.

The $300,500 Malibu Stakes was Runhappy’s first stakes win for Wohlers. She trained Runhappy for his first two starts last winter before Maria Borell was given the colt last spring. Wohlers, who is McIngvale’s sister-in-law and racing manager, resumed training following the Breeders’ Cup Sprint after a dispute arose with Borell. The issue is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit. Runhappy was unbeaten in five starts for Borell.

Runhappy, who is by Super Saver, has won 7 of 8 starts and earned $1,481,300. The highlight so far was a win in the BC Sprint at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

“We know we have a sprinter and we’ll see if we can stretch him out,” Wohlers said. “We’ll give him a couple of months off. We’re hoping he can run in the Met Mile.

“I think he’ll be better at a mile. We bought him to go a distance. He sure is a heck of a sprinter. It worked out well.”

While Runhappy will not race again at Santa Anita in coming months, Birdatthewire, the upset winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, may race here in January.

Trained by Dale Romans at Gulfstream Park in Florida earlier this month, Birdatthewire is a candidate for the $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares on Jan. 23. The La Brea Stakes and Grade 2 Santa Monica are both run at seven furlongs.

Tom Camp, who is part of the Forum Racing IV partnership, said on Sunday morning that he would defer judgment to Romans.

Birdatthewire has won 4 of 11 starts and earned $569,090. She won two Grade 2 stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park earlier this year –the Forward Gal Stakes at seven furlongs in January and the Gulfstream Park Oaks in March. She was winless in three starts from May to late November until the La Brea.