Turf star Divisidero nears return
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - One of the more promising 3-year-old turf horses of last year is close to his first start at 4.
Divisidero, a winner of two stakes in five starts last year, will have a serious workout Saturday at Gulfstream and will be considered for the Grade 3 Canadian Turf on the Fountain of Youth card here Feb. 27, said trainer Buff Bradley. Owned by the Gunpowder Farms LLC of Tom Keithley, Divisidero has not raced since finishing seventh as the second wagering choice in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 4. He has worked five times this year, all on the main track at Gulfstream.
“We’re not committed to the Gulfstream race, but we’re sure thinking about it,” said Bradley. “We’ve taken our time bringing him back and want to make sure he’s completely ready. I should know more after this next work Saturday.”
Divisidero, by Kitten’s Joy, was sent to the care of Josh Stevens at Silver Springs Farm in Paris, Ky., last summer after Bradley grew dissatisfied with the way the colt was training at Churchill Downs following the Belmont race.
“We did a bone scan and some other diagnostic tests, and nothing really came back conclusive,” he said. “We just gave him the time to get back to himself, and it really seems like he has. For a grass horse, he’s really shown me a lot in his works.”
The one-mile Canadian Turf is one of eight stakes on Fountain of Youth Day.
“When you move up against older horses, it gets tougher, but hopefully he’ll step it up,” said Bradley.
Meanwhile, Bradley and his family have been reeling following the unexpected death of his brother-in-law Shawn Thomas, who suffered fatal injuries in a Feb. 7 automobile accident in Georgia. Thomas, 48, was the younger brother of Bradley’s wife, Kim, and the son of trainer Gary Thomas, who races primarily in Kentucky and Arkansas.
Shawn Thomas was in the racing business his entire life. He was en route from Louisville to Ocala, Fla.
“It’s just really sad,” said Bradley.
A memorial service was scheduled for Wednesday at the Oaklawn Park chapel in Hot Springs, Ark.