Tencendur back from injury in Monday allowance

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tencendur, the runner-up in last year’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial and Ohio Derby, returns from a 13-month layoff in a first-level New York-bred allowance race going 1 1/8 miles on Monday at Saratoga.

Tencendur, a son of Warrior’s Reward trained by George Weaver for Phil Birsh, has not run since getting beat a nose by Mr. Z in the $500,000 Ohio Derby in June 2015. That race followed a 17th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

While training for the Jim Dandy Stakes last summer, Tencendur fractured a sesamoid and needed surgery and recuperative time.

Tencendur has worked eight times since June, including five works going five furlongs or farther.

“A mile and an eighth on this track is going to be demanding off the bench,” Weaver said. “No question, if you look at us on paper, it looks like he’s the best horse in the race, and I believe he’ll run decent. But I do think he’s going to move forward off of it.”

Tencendur’s only win came the only time he faced New York-breds back in January 2015 over Aqueduct’s inner track.