Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) favorite Wise Dan will have his travel plans from Lexington to Santa Anita Park delayed a day, trainer Charlie Lopresti said Oct. 29.
Due to Hurricane Sandy, the hurricane that has created havoc along the East Coast, the Kentucky-based runner will have to wait for a flight to California.
"The plane is here today but they have some more horses left at Belmont and they need to get those horses," said Lopresti, who originally intended to ship the 5-year-old son of Wiseman's Ferry to the West Coast Oct. 30 from his home base at Keeneland.
Now Wise Dan is slated to arrive in California by Oct. 31 at noon, Lopresti said.
"They're waiting to see if they can get into Newburgh Airport in New York to get those horses, then come back to Louisville to pick up our horse," the trainer explained. He added that Wise Dan would van to Louisville to get on the plane if that situation developed.
"If they can't get to New York, if something happens where they can't get into the New York airport, all the Louisville and Lexington horses will leave out of Lexington," Lopresti said.
Among those remaining in Kentucky are Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) contender Fort Larned , trained by Ian Wilkes. Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) runner Shanghai Bobby is among the horses still in New York.
Lopresti, who was scheduled to fly to Santa Anita Oct. 29, delayed his travel plans a day and remained in Kentucky. He will travel West Oct. 30.
"When all this happened I thought it was kind of pointless for me to sit out there in California while my horse was still in Kentucky," he said. "I will get there around 10:20 a.m. California time on Tuesday, which will give me a chance to go by the barn, see where he's going to be, get us licensed, and check things out and have everything settled for when the horse gets there."
Lopresti said the later arrival shouldn't bother his multiple grade I winner, who took the Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) and the Ben Ali Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland, the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Can-IT) at Woodbine, and the Fourstardave (gr. IIT) at Saratoga Race Course this year along with a second by a head to Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) contender Ron the Greek at Churchill Downs.
"He's shipped and gone everywhere, it doesn't seem to bother him," Lopresti said of the Morton Fink homebred. "I would have rather got in a little earlier, but we should be alright, unless he doesn't like Santa Anita. We're about to find out."
