By Ben Massam
Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) blossomed from an immensely talented 3-year-old colt into a GI Kentucky Derby winner at Todd Pletcher's winter base at Palm Beach Downs earlier this year, and after an autumn-long freshening at WinStar Farm, the dual-Grade I winner is scheduled to return to South Florida in the coming week to resume his career as a racehorse. According to WinStar President and CEO Elliott Walden, Always Dreaming has shown good energy in his exercise over WinStar's training track in recent weeks and appears to have fully recovered from a bout with stomach ulcers.
“He's doing great,” Walden said Sunday. “He's been here since the first week of September. He had a long campaign through the Derby trail, so we just gave him some time off. He checked out very well, and his stomach ulcers have cleared up. He came in weighing 1,015 lbs. and he's up to 1,140–he just looks great. We've been training him the past month, he's very enthusiastic and looks like the old Always Dreaming. The plan is that he'll go to Todd this week.”
WinStar, SF Bloodstock and China Horse Club joined the ownership group of MeB Racing, Brooklyn Boyz, Teresa Viola, St. Elias, Siena Farm and West Point Thoroughbreds to campaign Always Dreaming as a 4-year-old and, ultimately, stand him at stud.
Walden said the group does not have any concrete plans or target races picked out for the colt, but a return in the spring could be in the cards if all goes according to plan.
Always Dreaming graduated from the maiden ranks last January at Tampa Bay Downs in emphatic fashion and captured the GI Florida Derby two starts later in early April at Gulfstream Park. He was tabbed the slight favorite for the Kentucky Derby by virtue of his three-race win streak in South Florida and did not disappoint, wearing the roses following a 2 3/4-length triumph in the slop on the First Saturday in May. Eighth in the GI Preakness S., he closed out his sophomore campaign with a third in the GII Jim Dandy S. and a ninth-place finish in the GI Travers S. Aug. 26 at Saratoga.
With all signs pointing to Always Dreaming being back on the right track, Walden said he is thrilled to be part of campaigning a Kentucky Derby winner as a 4-year-old.
“It's very exciting,” Walden said. “With the talent he's shown, it's very exciting to have him coming back. There are a lot of big races and we're looking forward to him competing.”
Click here to watch a video of Always Dreaming galloping at WinStar Saturday morning.
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