Mullins to Rest Captain Squire, Lusty Latin

While trainer Jeff Mullins concentrates on preparing Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Buddy Gil for his next start on the first Saturday in May, two of his other standouts, Captain Squire and Lusty Latin, will get a brief freshening. The pair returned to Mullins' Santa Anita base from a three-week journey to Dubai on Sunday and immediately sent to a nearby farm after clearing quarantine.

"Yeah they're tired," Mullins said. "It was a 30-hour flight back (from Dubai) without getting off and moving around. Then they had to spend two days in a stall at Hollywood Park in quarantine, so I'm giving them a much-needed break."

Captain Squire, the winner of the 2002 Laz Barrera Memorial Stakes (gr. II) and Turf Paradise Derby, as well as this year's Sunshine Millions Sprint, finished third in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen at Nad Al Sheba on March 23. The 4-year-old son of Flying Chevron, owned by Bob Bone and Jeff Diener, has also earned placings in three other stakes events and has banked $671,800. Overall, he's won five races from 12 starts with two seconds and three thirds.

Lusty Latin, who Mullins claimed for $62,500 on behalf of Joey and Wendy Platts in November of 2001, was eighth in the $1 million Godolphin Mile. The gray son of El Prado was 15th in last year's Kentucky Derby (gr. I) after finishing third in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) and Turf Paradise Derby. His lone stakes win came in the Rattlesnake Stakes at Turf Paradise. His career line stands at 14-2-2-3, $184,139.

"They'll be on vacation until I get back from Kentucky," Mullins said.

Mullins said Lusty Latin will likely turn back up in a non-winners of two "other than" allowance race on the turf at Hollywood Park and that no race has been picked out yet for Captain Squire.