NEWS
Better Talk Now out of Sword Dancer with injury
Posted: Friday, August 10, 2007 11:23 AM
BETTER TALK NOW
Photo by Z
by Phil Janack
An ankle injury will keep multiple Grade 1 winner Better Talk Now out of the $500,000 Sword Dancer Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.
Trainer Graham Motion said Friday morning that the eight-year-old gelding was treated with antibiotics for a cut he suffered when running third in the United Nations Handicap (G1) on July 7 at Monmouth Park.
"He has a tendency to hit himself, and that's why he runs in front bandages," Motion said. "He got a nasty wound on his ankle after the U.N., and it had healed beautifully, but it started to flare up again this week. It's obviously terrible timing."
Motion said Better Talk Now will be walked for a week or two and then re-evaluated.
"I don't want to have the same scenario in a month and have a further setback," he said. "We'll let it heal now so it's fine for the rest of the year."
The Sword Dancer was going to feature another meeting of Better Talk Now and multiple Grade 1 winner English Channel. The two older turf stars had split their last two meetings, with English Channel taking the U.N. after Better Talk Now won the Manhattan Handicap (G1) on June 9.
"I'm most disappointed for the fans of Saratoga," Motion said. "It was going to be such a great day and such a great race with English Channel."
Owned by Bushwood Stables, Better Talk Now has 14 wins from 40 career starts and earnings of $3,899,788. Motion mentioned the $500,000 Man o' War Stakes (G1) at 1 3/8 miles on September 8 at Belmont Park as a possible return race.
Phil Janack is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
