Owner-trainer Luis Olivares reports that his popular 6-year-old gelding Tackleberry has begun training on the farm in Ocala and will be shipped to Calder Casino & Race Course next week to continue preparation for a 2013 campaign expected to commence at Gulfstream Park.
"He doesn't take long to get ready, so I would think he'll be ready to run here later in the meet," said Olivares, who sent out Rosa Stephany Taveras' 3-year-old Sr. Quisqueyano to finish second in the Jan. 1 Gulfstream Park Derby.
Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud out of the Concerto mare Box of Joy, the son of Montbrook built up a strong fan following when posting three straight stakes victories at Gulfstream early in 2011. The streak, began with the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic and was followed with wins in the Gulfstream Sprint Championship (gr. II) and Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II).
Tackleberry ran only twice in 2012, beginning with a game runner-up effort behind Mucho Macho Man in the Gulfstream Park Handicap in March, and a fourth-place try last out as the favorite in the $1 million Charles Town Classic (gr. II) in West Virginia on April14.
Tackleberry will return to the races with a career record of 16-8-3-0 for earnings of $914,600.