Always Dreaming to Race in 2018

Always Dreaming after winning the Kentucky Derby | Coady

Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), winner of the 2017 GI Kentucky Derby, will return to training and be pointed for a 4-year-old campaign in 2018, it was announced Monday. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the colt was found to have severe stomach ulcers after finishing ninth in the GI Travers S. Aug. 26, but was recently cleared by veterinarians after treatment and a month of being turned out at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.

“When Always Dreaming came to the farm, we had a complete physical conducted by Dr. [Larry] Bramlage and his team at Rood & Riddle. He checked out extremely well and was in very good shape, except for his stomach,” said WinStar President & CEO Elliott Walden. “He had a pretty bad case of ulcers. Dr. Steve Reed of Rood & Riddle said it was one of the worst cases of ulcers he has seen. The interesting thing is Todd said that his appetite was always stellar, and he has been treated with Gastrogard all year. Todd is extremely vigilant on taking care of his horses, and it was a complete shock to all involved. The great news is we've been able to clear up the ulcers and he's doing fantastic right now. It also explains a lot about his regression in form, and we are extremely excited about his racing potential in 2018. The sky is the limit.”

Always Dreaming will have a follow-up scope of his stomach in the coming weeks, and he'll continue to be turned out through the end of October. Plans call for him to resume light training at WinStar's training facility Nov. 1, before being sent down to Palm Beach Downs Dec. 1 to rejoin Pletcher's Florida operation.

“I'm glad we found something that we could fix,” Pletcher said. “Up until the Preakness, I had never seen Always Dreaming get beaten at anything, whether it be a workout or a race. He did not act like a typical ulcer horse, but the pictures we got from the stomach scope were about as bad as I have seen. Gastrogard is a good treatment plan and works for the majority of my horses, but, every now and then, you run into a horse that gets ulcers through the medication. I can't wait to get him back.”

The dark bay, who also captured the GI Florida Derby this spring, could return to the races in late winter, with the GI Metropolitan H. and GI Stephen Foster S. being early targets for his return to Grade I company.

WinStar Farm, SF Bloodstock and China Horse Club have joined the ownership group of MeB Racing, Brooklyn Boyz, Teresa Viola, St. Elias, Siena Farm and West Point Thoroughbreds for Always Dreaming's 4-year-old campaign and future stallion career.

“We are excited to race Always Dreaming next year with the original partnership of myself, Anthony Bonomo, West Point and Siena, along with now WinStar, SF Bloodstock, and the China Horse Club,” said co-owner Vinnie Viola. “Obviously, the last few races were not the real Always Dreaming. He is a special horse, and we look forward to watching him regain the form that was so dominant in the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby.”

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