Classic Empire Returns to Training in Florida

Classic Empire | Coady photo

John Oxley's dual Grade I winner Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) galloped for the first time since his determined win in the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Wednesday morning at Palm Meadows Training Center, trainer Mark Casse confirmed Wednesday. The bay is currently expected to begin his 3-year-old season in the GII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park Feb. 4.

“He started back today,” Casse said. “He's back doing some exercise under tack. He just started.”

Classic Empire, the heavy favorite to win Eclipse Award honors as the champion juvenile colt of 2016, had previously been walking twice a day at Palm Meadows. Casse noted that if everything goes according to plan, the $475,000 Keeneland September purchase will likely follow Gulfstream Park's series of prep races on the path to the GI Kentucky Derby May 6.

“If everything went right, he'd run in the Holy Bull–that's what we'd aim for,” Casse said. “That's the plan right now–the Holy Bull, the [Mar. 4 GII] Fountain of Youth. We'll worry about those two races, but there could be a chance to run in the [Apr. 1 GI] Florida Derby.”

Keeneland's GII Blue Grass S. is also under consideration for the juvenile, who captured the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at the Lexington oval Oct. 8.

“I love the way horses do in the spring in Kentucky, and I was kind of wanting to get him to Kentucky for that reason,” the trainer explained.

Classic Empire graduated at first asking going 4 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs May 4 and added a late-running score in the GIII Bashford Manor S. there July 2. The lone blemish on the colt's record came in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga Sept. 5, when he wheeled at the start and lost his rider as the 8-5 favorite. Casse elected to add blinkers following that effort, and Classic Empire responded with a pair of convincing pace-pressing wins in the Breeders' Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

“He's an extremely talented horse–without a doubt the most talented 2-year-old that I've ever trained,” Casse added. “I think that kind of goes without saying. He amazes me. He amazes me, one, how fast he is and, then, his ability to carry it…The blinkers made a huge difference. He breaks much faster.”

Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.

Copy Article Link

X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.