Arkansas Derby (gr. I) winner Bodemeister has been sent to WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky., and will be evaluated by specialists including Dr. Larry Bramlage of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in the coming days, WinStar president Elliott Walden confirmed Aug. 15.
The 3-year-old son of Empire Maker has been training in Southern California with Hall of Fame horseman Bob Baffert but had not worked since July 8. Second in both the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) Bodemeister set quick fractions while hanging on almost to the wire in both races
"Bode arrived at WinStar for diagnostic procedure," Ahmed Zayat announced via his Twitter account. "He has an appointment tomorrow at Rood and Riddle to tell us what's wrong with him."
Zayat Stable races Bodemeister in partnership with Mike and Tiffany Moreno.
"He has not been training well; I've been here in California seeing him myself," Zayat told The Blood-Horse. "He's gained back the weight, he's gained back the fitness, but he wasn't traveling as well as we wanted, he was just not being himself. We've got people looking at him here that can't figure out what's wrong, Bob can't figure what's wrong, so we're going to figure it out. I said, 'Enough with people here not finding out, let's just ship him to Rood & Riddle.'"
Zayat said Bodemeister was expected to arrive in Lexington the afternoon of Aug. 15.
"I called WinStar and said, 'Listen, I want you to keep him at the farm there, to set all the appointments with Rood & Riddle,'" he said. "He's not going there because he's retired; we honestly don't know what's wrong with him."
Bred in Kentucky by Audley Farm and out of the grade I-placed Storm Cat mare Untouched Talent, Bodemeister will stand at WinStar when his racing career is over.
