Lynch in a New York State of Mind

Laurel-based veteran trainer Cal Lynch is plotting a New York-route to the GI Kentucky Derby for his streaking 'TDN Rising Star' El Areeb (Exchange Rate), a jaw-dropping 11 1/4-length winner over a muddy going in Aqueduct's GIII Jerome S. Jan. 2.

“I spoke to the owners–he's been galloping and training well–and we've decided that we'll probably aim for the [GIII] Withers [S. at Aqueduct Feb. 4] and see how we go from there,” Lynch said of the M M G Stables colorbearer, the nom-de-course of Mohammed Al-Gadhi of Saudi Arabia.

“He liked Aqueduct and went up there and handled everything pretty well, and hopefully we ship back and do the same thing again. We wouldn't do all three [preps in New York], I don't think. Maybe skip the [GIII] Gotham [S. Mar. 4] and go to the [GII] Wood [Memorial in April] if everything went perfect.”

With some light snow hitting the Northeast Friday and possibly more on the way Saturday, Lynch will certainly be monitoring the weather very closely this winter. Is he concerned at all about the elements disrupting his plans moving forward?

“Yeah, we took that into consideration,” replied Lynch, who trains a string of 40 at a private barn at his Maryland base. “The next 10 days, the long-range forecast doesn't look too bad. So, if we could get through the month of January and we get to Feb. 4 and get that race, then it gives us eight weeks [to the Wood Memorial]. And usually by March, we're back in good weather again. He'll have some time to keep growing up–he's still developing–and he's got quite a good foundation on him already. We're just trying to keep him fresh and happy and keep him going the way he is.”

He added, “I like to put my hands on all of my horses and see them everyday. It kind of suits me to have them all in one place. That's probably more of why we didn't take these horses to Florida.”

Bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms, El Areeb is a son of the winning A.P. Indy mare Feathered Diamond, a Sam-Son Farm homebred who earned her diploma at second asking going 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland. This is also the extended female family of Canadian 3-year-old colt champion Regal Intention (Vice Regent). El Areeb brought $340,000 as an OBSMAR 2-Year-Old after working an eighth in :10 from the Eisaman Equine consignment. He was previously a $100,000 KEESEP yearling purchase.

While things didn't go exactly as planned first time out–El Areeb reported home a disappointing fourth as the 13-10 favorite with some excuses in his 4 1/2-furlong debut at Parx June 11–the gray has really elevated his game in his most recent three efforts. He romped by 8 3/4 lengths at third asking Oct. 15, then added Laurel's six-furlong James F. Lewis III S. by 5 1/4 lengths in dominating wire-to-wire fashion Nov. 19, good for a career-high 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We were really disappointed when he bucked shins first time out,” explained Lynch, who came to the States from Northern Ireland in 1996 in his late teens. “I was pretty devastated. He was our best 2-year-old early and showed himself really early. I buy a lot of horses off Dr. Eisaman and we really liked him at the March Sale. We had already bought the Curlin horse [fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Undulated for $625,000 for M M G Stables] just before that and weren't sure if we were still in action. It all worked out really well. These guys are very game and they trust us and let us do our job. It's a quality in an owner that you can only dream of.”

El Areeb showed the ability to stalk and pounce in the mile-and-70-yard Jerome, his first attempt around two turns. The Withers is contested at 1 1/16 miles, also over Aqueduct's inner surface.

“Honestly, not a big concern,” Lynch said when asked about El Areeb continuing to stretch out in distance this spring. “We worked him quite a few mile-and-an-eighth works here [at Laurel].”

He continued with a laugh, “I guess being Irish, we want everything to go three miles over 16 fences, you know? So 1 1/8 miles is a sprint for us. He loves training. He has a very high- cruising speed and that makes him dangerous. I haven't gotten to the bottom of him yet, so I'm hoping we don't get there any time soon.”

While the aforementioned Swynford S. winner and narrow Laurel Futurity S. runner-up Undulated failed to join El Areeb on the Derby trail–he will be freshened and aimed at a grass campaign this spring/summer after finishing a well-beaten third while trying dirt for the first time in the Marylander S. at Laurel Dec. 31–having a horse shooting for the first Saturday of May “is absolutely a dream come true” for Lynch and his close-knit family.

“I have my two sons Charlie and Anthony and my wife Daniela working for me,” Lynch concluded. “Charlie took up training and got his license about a month and a half ago on his 18th birthday and he already got his first winner. He's got the bug–it's brilliant to see him get a winner, a maiden $12,500 at Charles Town. It's a very exciting time for all of us.”