NEWS
VIDEO - Rip Van Winkle assuages O’Brien’s latest worries
Posted: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 3:30 PM
by Jeff Lowe
A light trip around the Santa Anita Park main track was enough to alleviate trainer Aidan O’Brien’s concerns following the latest in a long line of hiccups with Rip Van Winkle (Ire) during an eventful season that will culminate in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
O’Brien has been very open all year that he holds Rip Van Winkle in the highest regard, but he was concerned until Wednesday morning that he and owners Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor made a mistake in electing to leave Rip Van Winkle as their only chance in the Classic, sending Mastercraftsman (Ire) instead to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
The latest concerns about Rip Van Winkle derived from foot trouble, his nemesis all year, and the long journey to Santa Anita from O’Brien’s Ballydoyle base in Ireland.
“You could see the journey in him,” O’Brien said. “He was a little bit quieter than usual the last few days. This morning going around the track he was very happy. You get that feel. I was really happy with him. I really look forward to see what’s going to happen.”
O’Brien said Rip Van Winkle has battled persistent trouble since he developed an infection in his heels over the winter. The most recent issue, since his victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Eng-G1), was with his right hind foot.
“That was one he hadn’t had a problem with before,” O’Brien said. “It’s amazing that he’s raced at all. I’ve never seen a horse that has been through as much as he has and do what he has. There’s no doubt that we never came here with a horse the caliber of this horse, but he’s had a lot of issues. But we felt that if we could get him to perform near to what he can do, we’d really look forward to it.
“He’s a very brilliant horse, and he’s been swimming against the tide all season. He’s probably the most natural horse, the most natural athlete that we’ve had, with the movement, the athleticism, and the enthusiasm. I have to be careful talking about him because the feeling that you get from him this morning makes you really say too much.”
Rip Van Winkle will be switching from turf to Santa Anita’s synthetic Pro-Ride surface and stretching out from a mile to 1 1/4 miles, but the arduous season was the variable that O’Brien emphasized.
O’Brien finished second in last year’s Classic at Santa Anita with Henrythenavigator, who also finished second in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. O’Brien thinks if Rip Van Winkle can perform near the level he did in the Queen Elizabeth II, it would be enough to win the Classic.
“I’d say there’s no doubt, if we can get him anywhere close,” O’Brien said. “That’s what you would hope and dream and think. But he’s had a hard season and the journey probably took a little more out of him than the rest. I was very worried until this morning, but I was very happy after this morning, as happy as you could be after doing a slow work.”
For complete Thoroughbred Times coverage of the Breeders' Cup Classic, click here.
Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer
