Grade I winner Graydar will ship to Saratoga Race Course the morning of July 13 to rejoin trainer Todd Pletcher after three months on the sidelines, Twin Creeks Racing announced.
The 4-year-old son of Unbridled's Song spent time recovering at Kenny Troutt's WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky., after a chip was removed from his left front ankle at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. The minor injury was discovered after Graydar won the March 30 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. That win followed an upset victory in the Donn Handicap (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park seven weeks earlier.
"Graydar looks spectacular and is raring to go," reported the Twin Creeks Racing page July 9. "He has been a perfect patient, allowing the WinStar team to give him the ultimate care. He has been swimming (and) aqua-treading and galloping daily...he has loved every minute of it, and is raring to resume full training. Saturday morning he will ship to Saratoga and rejoin Pletcher's barn where he will begin his quest for a huge fall campaign."
Should all go according to plan, that fall campaign will peak in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
Bred in Kentucky by William S. Farish out of the Dehere mare Sweetest Smile, the gray or roan colt holds a record of four wins and a third from five starts, with earnings of $601,560. An $85,000 RNA from the 2010 Keeneland September yearling sale, he was purchased by Twin Creek's Randy Gullatt for $260,000 at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Florida select 2-year-old in training sale when consigned by William B. Harrigan, agent.