Schwarzenegger to await maiden race
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The highly touted 2-year-old Schwarzenegger’s debut continues to be put on hold.
Already scratched a couple of times, he was entered in two spots this week but won’t run in either one. On Thursday, he scratched out of a maiden race when a midday rainstorm prompted New York Racing Association officials to move the final four scheduled turf races to the dirt, including a 5 1/2-furlong maiden turf sprint in which Schwarzenegger was entered.
Schwarzenegger was also entered in Saturday’s $150,000 Skidmore Stakes but was going to be scratched from that spot, too, said trainer Wesley Ward after he conferred with the owners of the horse.
“He drew the one-hole. There are six winners in the race. We just talked about it and said, ‘Let’s try to do the right thing by the horse and not get all excited and do something maybe we shouldn’t,’ ” said Ward, who added the conversation was spearheaded by Coolmore’s Charlie O’Connor. “We got to get him in a maiden race. He’s the most unlucky horse I’ve seen in my life.”
On Friday, Schwarzenegger worked three furlongs in 36.11 seconds over the Oklahoma training track under jockey Victor Espinoza.
“Victor, when he came back after the work, didn’t want to get off of him,” Ward said.
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