NEWS
Former classics hopeful Endorsement sets Gulfstream track record
Posted: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 7:41 PM
Former classics hopeful Endorsement blazed to victory in track-record time at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday in the third start of his comeback from injury.
The five-year-old Distorted Humor horse controlled the pace under Julien Leparoux in the fourth race and cruised to a 2¼-length triumph while lowering the track standard for 1 1/16 miles to 1: 43.35.
Endorsement won the 2010 Sunland Derby (G3) by three lengths for owner WinStar Farm and was a contender for the spring classics before he sustained a nondisplaced lateral condylar fracture to his right front ankle in late Aprile while preparing for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) at Churchill Downs.
WinStar won the 2010 Derby with Super Saver.
Endorsement was sidelined for more than 20 months and launched his comeback on December 10 at Gulfstream, finishing second in six-furlong optional claiming race. He then followed with another runner-up finish in a one-mile optional claiming race after breaking through the starting gate before the start on January 1 at the Florida track in his previous outing.
“That was the race that we were looking for, the race we thought he was capable of. We’ve always felt that this is a very high-level horse. We’ll start looking at graded races now,” said owner Bill Casner following Endorsement’s win on Wednesday.
Endorsement previously was trained by Shannon Ritter and now is conditioned by Eoin Harty.
Bred in Kentucky by Kilroy Thoroughbred Partnership, Endorsement is out of multiple Grade 3-placed winner Charmed Gift, by A.P. Indy, and is a half brother to Mexican champion Vistoso.
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Posted by: HANSENLOVER!, Horseland, IL on February 02, 2012 at 09:59 AM
Awww! that makes me very happy! Hope that past injury does not bother him.
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