Graded stakes-winning millionaire Epic Ride has resumed training for a 5-year-old campaign that trainer John Ennis hopes will be the gelding’s best yet. His early-season target is the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile in April at Keeneland, with a potential prep race at Turfway Park, depending on how his training unfolds.
“Epic is back in training, he looks and is doing great,” Ennis said. “We’re hoping for a big year with him. He’s super sound. Had two months at the farm, basically doing nothing, to freshen him up for this year. We might give him a prep run at Turfway for Keeneland, but then the main goal will be Keeneland, and obviously, we’d love to go back to Kentucky Downs again this year.”
Epic Ride, a Blame gelding owned by Welch Racing, has put together a career record of 18-5-5-3 to date while earning more than $1.9 million. As a 3-year-old, he was a stakes winner on Turfway’s Tapeta and was multiple graded stakes-placed on dirt, including a third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. Following that race, he drew into the Kentucky Derby as an also-eligible, finishing 14th.
Last year, Epic Ride began his campaign on dirt and was a good second in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint before Ennis seized a long-awaited opportunity to get the gelding on turf last summer. After finishing second in the Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile at Ellis Park as a prep race, he won the Grade 3 Mint Millions at Kentucky Downs. Epic Ride concluded his season by finishing eighth in the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile in October at Keeneland, then was third in an allowance/optional-claiming race on Nov. 7 at Churchill Downs.
“We’re hoping for a breakthrough year,” Ennis said. “He’s not far off that top level, so hopefully, this year as a 5-year-old it’ll be his year of maturing. He’s just developing the whole time. You can see it in him. I think he’s just physically taken another step forward.”
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