Sweet Reason back on track after eye injury

Sweet Reason is back on target for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint after recovering from an eye injury suffered in her runner-up finish behind Untapable in the Sept. 20 Cotillion at Parx.

Trainer Leah Gyarmati said Monday from her Belmont Park base that Sweet Reason “missed maybe a week and a half of training” before returning to the track last week.

“We’re probably okay since she’s run as much as she has already this year,” said Gyarmati. “I’ll probably breeze her this weekend. Obviously, if we think she’s not 100 percent, we’ll do what’s in her best interests. But right now, I’m pretty optimistic.”

Sweet Reason, owned by the Treadway Racing Stable of Jeff Treadway, figures as one of the logical favorites for the seven-furlong Filly and Mare Sprint on the strength of her record this year, which includes wins in the Grade 1 Acorn and Grade 1 Test. She is one of a handful of 3-year-olds likely for the race, along with Artemis Agrotera, Stonetastic, Little Alexis, and possibly Southern Honey.

Gyarmati said an equine ophthalmologist examined Sweet Reason’s eye Sunday evening and pronounced it fully healed. Gyarmati added that she has been having the filly train in a protective cup over the eye, “but that’s only me being extra careful because she probably doesn’t need it anymore.”

Gyarmati said the filly apparently sustained the injury in the Cotillion when a foreign object struck the eye. It became ulcerated, and the filly spent several days in a clinic for treatment and observation.

Gyarmati said that if Sweet Reason runs in the Breeders’ Cup, it definitely will be in the Nov. 1 Filly and Mare Sprint and not against the likes of Beholder and Untapable in the 1 1/8-mile Distaff the previous day.

In other developments, trainer Rusty Arnold said a decision on whether to send Southern Honey to the Breeders’ Cup will be made after a workout this weekend at Keeneland, where the filly ran second to Leigh Court in the Oct. 4 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes in her last start.

From California, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has confirmed Top Kisser, the winner of the Oct. 4 L.A. Woman Stakes at Santa Anita, as a $100,000 supplement to the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Another possible supplement is La Verdad. Trainer Linda Rice has maintained that she will wait until pre-entries are due next Monday to determine whether owner Sheila Rosenblum of Lady Sheila Stable will opt to pay the $100,000 fee to run the New York-bred filly.

In Kentucky, the Grade 2 Raven Run on Saturday at Keeneland might produce a Filly and Mare Sprint starter in Thank You Marylou, although the connections of two other favorites, Miss Behaviour and Cassatt, have said they are not considering the Breeders’ Cup.

As for recent works toward the Filly and Mare Sprint:

◗ Artemis Agrotera: Had her first second breeze since her eye-catching Gallant Bloom victory when going five furlongs Wednesday in 1:00 at Belmont Park.

◗ Judy the Beauty: Breezed five furlongs over the Keeneland turf for the fourth straight Thursday when going in 1:01.80 on Oct. 9.

◗ La Verdad: Breezed five furlongs Friday in 1:00.45 over the Belmont training track in her second work since the Gallant Bloom.

◗ Living the Life: Went six furlongs in 1:13.80, handily, Saturday at Santa Anita in her third work since winning the Sept. 8 Presque Isle Masters on synthetic.

◗ Little Alexis: Sped five furlongs Saturday in 58.96 at Gulfstream Park in her second work since running fourth in the Sept. 20 Cotillion.