Trio of 3-year-olds return to Rice barn

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While still deciding the future of their champion female sprinter La Verdad, trainer Linda Rice and owner Sheila Rosenblum welcomed back to the barn a trio of 3-year-olds they hope can provide more success for the stable in 2016.

The maiden winners Matt King Coal, Seymourdini and Championofthenile all recently returned to Rice’s Belmont Park barn following time off for various reasons.

Matt King Coal, a 5 3/4-length maiden winner at Belmont Park on Oct. 29, trained Wednesday and Thursday after missing time due to illness. He was sent to Patty Hogan’s farm in Cream Ridge, N.J. He had been pointing to the Jerome on Jan. 2. Now, Rice is hoping Matt King Coal can make the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham on March 5.

“Still a possibility,” Rice said.

Seymourdini, a nine-length maiden winner at Aqueduct on Nov. 22, returned to the barn Thursday following about a two-month break. Rice has not yet formulated a plan for him.

Championofthenile, who finished second as the 1-5 favorite in the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes, also returned this week and will be kept sprinting with New York-breds, Rice said.

Meanwhile, Rice and Rosenblum, who was at Belmont on Thursday, have still not committed to either racing La Verdad once more in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel on Feb. 13 or retiring her. A decision on that likely will be made in a week to 10 days.