War Story will focus on fitness in equine pool at ThistleDown

When the 3-year-old War Story fell $4,000 short of reaching his $549,000 reserve at the recent Fasig-Tipton July horses of racing age sale in Lexington, Ky., it hardly upset the horse’s Dallas-based co-owner, Ron Paolucci.

“I didn’t know if I wanted to sell him or not,” Paolucci said Tuesday. “I thought if somebody wants him, they’re going to have to pay a premium for him.”

It was a close call, but War Story ended up going back home with Paolucci and is now gearing up for the second half of the year. The owner said the first order of business is the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 2. The race is also the target for Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

War Story last started on June 20, when he was fourth in the $500,000 Ohio Derby at ThistleDown. Earlier in his career, the horse was third in the Louisiana Derby and second in both the Lecomte and Risen Star, all at Fair Grounds. “He’s back in training, and we’re pointing for the Haskell,” Paolucci said. “Colby Hernandez has got the mount.”

Paolucci said War Story is currently based at ThistleDown with trainer Jeff Radosevich, who is preparing the horse for the Haskell. Paolucci said he and the horse’s regular trainer, Tom Amoss, felt the best course of action for War Story at the present time was to put him at ThistleDown, which offers equine swimming facilities. It is the sort of conditioning that will help move the horse’s fitness forward as he missed some time due to the auction that was held July 9.

“We had a short period of time to get him ready, and I really like the pool for horses,” Paolucci said. “ThistleDown has a pool, and we wanted the pool to [help War Story] get fit faster. And the surface, it’s one of the best.”

Paolucci said following the Haskell, War Story is scheduled to return to the care of Amoss, who regularly races in Kentucky and Louisiana. A potential fall objective for the horse, said Paolucci, is the Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 12.

“All my trainers work together,” said Paolucci, who has 40 horses with the ThistleDown-based Radosevich.

Paolucci already has a couple of horses eyeing stakes on the Super Derby undercard. Joes Blazing Aaron, who won an optional $62,500 claiming race June 18 at Gulfstream, is a candidate for the Unbridled. The filly Unbridled Courage, winner of her last two starts at Presque Isle, is being debated for a start in the $75,000 River Cities.