Today's Flavor romps again; Cindy Weaver back home

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Today’s Flavor looks to be a future New York-bred stakes horse after following up his 8 1/2-length maiden win Nov. 27 with a similar front-running, 8 1/2-length victory Sunday in a first-level allowance race at Aqueduct. Both races were against statebreds.

Put on the lead by Manny Franco, Today’s Flavor extended his advantage at every call, running six furlongs in 1:11.23 and earning an 89 Beyer Speed Figure, one point higher than his maiden score.

The victory could set him up for a start in the $100,000 Say Florda Sandy Stakes versus statebreds on Jan. 8 or a statebred second-level allowance at a future date.

“Wherever we have our best chance to win, we’ll keep letting the horse tell us if he wants to step up,” trainer George Weaver said Monday.

Today’s Flavor, a 4-year-old gelding by Laoban owned by Paul Reddam, began his career in Southern California with Doug O’Neill. In two open-company maiden races, he finished second to Laurel River and Essential Wager, Bob Baffert-trained runners who turned into graded stakes winners.

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Today’s Flavor finished fifth in his first start in New York when he had trouble in the gate.

Cindy Weaver back home

Cindy Weaver, assistant to her husband George , has been at the couple’s home in South Florida for five weeks after leaving a second rehabilitation facility at the beginning of November, George Weaver said Monday.

Cindy Weaver suffered a severe brain injury and other physical injuries when a horse she was galloping collapsed and fell on her during training hours July 3 at Saratoga.

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George Weaver said Cindy still has full-time, live-in help and undergoes therapy daily. Her broken collarbone and fractured ribs have healed, but she still has limited use of her left arm and needs assistance walking.

“She had a bad injury,” George Weaver said. “Everybody says she’s far ahead of where she’s supposed to be. We’re still in the middle of it, hoping she can get certain things back.”

Weaver said that he has taken Cindy out to dinner and to the mall for shopping.

“We’re very lucky she’s gotten back to even this point,” he said. “We’re happy about it, but I hope she keeps coming. She’s not in a place where she can be independent.”

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