Social Inclusion sent to Rood & Riddle for evaluation
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Social Inclusion has been sent to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., for further evaluation, his new trainer, Chad Brown, said on Tuesday.
Owner Ron Sanchez transferred Social Inclusion from trainer Manny Azpurua to Brown several days after his seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Haskell.
“Unfortunately this horse didn’t come out of the Haskell as well as we’d have liked,” said Brown. “So I sent the horse to Kentucky to Rood & Riddle on Monday to be examined by Dr. Larry Bramlage sometime next week.”
Social Inclusion gained instant notoriety after winning his debut and then dominating leading Kentucky Derby contender Honor Code while setting a track record in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park. Social Inclusion finished third in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial but did not earn enough qualifying points to run in the Kentucky Derby. Instead, he waited for the Preakness, where he again finished third despite some gate issues that kept him from showing his usual early speed.
Social Inclusion then went to New York as a possible contender for the Belmont Stakes, but ended up in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens where he finished third as the favorite behind runaway winner Bayern. Sanchez and Azpurua decided to take Social Inclusion off Lasix for the Haskell at Monmouth Park, where his chances were once more compromised when he stumbled leaving the gate. Social Inclusion recovered to prompt the pace into the stretch before tiring to finish 10 3/4 lengths behind winner Bayern.
Sanchez, who runs under the nom de course Rontos Racing Stable, said at the time he sent Social Inclusion to Brown: “I admit we made some mistakes with this horse, rushing him like we did earlier in the year.”
Brown fillies to Lake Placid
Brown worked recent Grade 1 winner Minorette five furlongs over the Oklahoma turf course in 59.80 on Tuesday in company with another of his top 3-year-old filly turf prospects, Xcellence. Minorette has not started since rallying to a two-length decision over Sea Queen in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 5, with Xcellence finishing a late-running fourth in her U.S. debut.
Brown said he’ll probably run both fillies in the Grade 2 Lake Placid here on Aug. 16.