OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The quarantine of a Belmont Park barn due to a case of strangles will not prevent trainer Rick Dutrow from running his 3-year-olds McAfee and Captain Cook in upcoming stakes out of town.
Two weeks ago, Dutrow shipped the pair of McAfee and Captain Cook to Churchill Downs where both have put in two workouts. McAfee, second in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on May 10, is entered in Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown. Captain Cook, third as the favorite in the Peter Pan, is pointing to the $250,000 Maxfield Stakes at Churchill on June 29.
Dutrow maintains a 12-horse string at Churchill. Dutrow said for McAfee, being based at Churchill makes for an easier ship to Thistledown than if he had to go from New York. McAfee made the first two starts of his career at Churchill last November.
“He’s been to Churchill before, he won his first race there, he’s very comfortable there,” Dutrow said. “We’re excited to watch him run next time.”
Dutrow had equipped McAfee with blinkers for the Peter Pan, and while he plans to keep them on for the Ohio Derby, Dutrow said he will cut them back a little bit.
“That’s what Johnny [Velazquez] said to do,” Dutrow said. “He was a little bit aggressive so we’ll cut them back to where he can settle better.”
Captain Cook, who won the Withers in February before finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial and third in the Peter Pan - all three race at 1 1/8 miles - will turn back to seven furlongs for the Maxfield, an overnight stakes.
“We’re hoping this is what he’s looking for,” Dutrow said of the cutback. “We’re very happy with him.”
Prior to his trio of two-turn stakes tries, Captain Cook won a seven-furlong maiden race by 9 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct in December. Captain Cook made his career debut at Churchill for Norm Casse last October before he was purchased at a dispersal sale of John Hendrickson's horses in November. Hendrickson died in August.
On Saturday night, the New York Racing Association announced that Barn 28 at Belmont Park was placed under a precautionary quarantine following the confirmation of a case of strangles, a contagious bacterial infection that affects a horse's respiratory system, found in a 2-year-old stabled in that barn. That horse, on Friday, had been transferred to a Mid-Atlantic equine clinic for treatment.
Barn 28 has approximately 30 horses trained by George Weaver, seven trained by Rudy Rodriguez, and four trained by Todd Pletcher. Those horses will not be permitted to enter races or train with the general horse population during the 14-day quarantine period or longer if the quarantine is extended.
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