Trainer Joe Orseno plans to send a division of horses to Kentucky on Sunday. It’s a first for the horseman, who will be racing at Churchill Downs on a regular basis. Back in 2000, he won a pair of Breeders’ Cup races at the track, taking the Juvenile with Macho Uno and the Filly and Mare Turf with Perfect Sting.
Orseno is based at Gulfstream Park and also had horses at Monmouth Park. He said most of the Kentucky division will be made up of horses shipping in from New Jersey.
“They gave me some stalls over at the Sports Spectrum, and I’m sending 13 horses over there,” Orseno said. “It will be my first time trying this, but I’ve got quite a few really nice 2-year-olds, all Kentucky-breds, that I train for D. J. Stable, and Mr. [Robert] Cotran kind of partnered up on some. It was the right time to go, and we’ll stay for Keeneland then stay for November Churchill – see how it works out.”
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Orseno said his first starter is set to come Sept. 18.
The group making the trip includes Hades, who won the Grade 3 Holy Bull in February at Gulfstream Park. Orseno said he will most likely make his next start in the $300,000 Bourbon Flight on Sept. 21 at Churchill.
“He’s nominated to the three races,” he said. “Since I’m sending horses to Churchill, we’re about 85 percent leaning toward that. I’ve been saying all along, the longer he goes, the better he’s going to be. This is a mile and three-sixteenths, so we’re going to find out.”
Hades races for D. J. Stable and Cotran. Orseno said Jon Green from D. J. Stable floated the idea of setting up a division in Kentucky.
“I’m hoping we come in and make a splash and maybe we’ll end up with an outfit there in the spring,” Orseno said. “That’s what I’m hoping.”
◗ Beth’s Dream emerged from her work last week in good order and has one more drill before a start in the Grade 3 Princess Rooney on Sept. 21 at Gulfstream, according to her trainer, Victor Barboza Jr.
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