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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
whilehanging 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."
Bodemeister was slated to start in the July 29 Haskell
Invitational Stakes (gr. I), but developed a fever July 14 and was treated with
an antibiotic. He has not raced since the May 19 Preakness.
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.
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