Sesamoid chip will keep Aztec Sense out 60 days

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jorge Navarro reported Sunday that Aztec Sense, who was vanned off following his 1 3/4-length triumph in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper here on Jan. 26, should be able to race again. Aztec Sense not only recorded his ninth consecutive and most important victory in the Fred Hooper, he also gave Navarro the 1,000th win of his training career.

“He came out with a chip in his sesamoid – we removed it,” Navarro said. “He’s in Ocala, he’ll be out for 60 days, and hopefully if all goes well he’ll be back again.”

Aztec Sense has been an amazing success story for Navarro and owner Joseph Besecker, who claimed the gelded son of Street Sense for $12,500 in August of 2017.

“The owner kept asking me to claim a horse for him at Parx and I kept saying no, no, no, because I was like 90 miles away at Monmouth,” said Navarro. “But that day, when Aztec Sense ran, I happened to be there.”

Navarro admitted even he has been pleasantly surprised by what Aztec Sense has accomplished. Navarro said he had planned to use the Hooper as a stepping-stone to a stakes on Dubai World Cup Day.

“But we can wait,” he said. “As long as we know we’re doing the right thing by him, it’s not a problem.”

Navarro also reported he plans to give X Y Jet one more start, likely here in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint on March 2, before bringing him back to Dubai for a third shot at the Golden Shaheen on March 30. X Y Jet, who has been second twice in the Golden Shaheen, finished fourth following a suicidal early pace duel when returning from a lengthy hiatus in the Sunshine Millions Sprint on Jan. 19.