Promising sophomore Matt King Coal (Cool Coal Man) has returned to training at conditioner Linda Rice's Belmont Park base and could return to the races in November, according to Rice. Last seen finishing fourth in the Apr. 9 GI TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial S., the Lady Sheila Stable colorbear exited that test with a hairline fracture to his pelvis and was turned out for the past few months to recover.
“He looks good; we gave him the summer off and he looks terrific,” Rice said. “We're just easing him back into training now. He'll jog for a couple of weeks and then go to gallop for a couple of weeks. I want to give him a good month or so before we get up to a breeze.”
Graduating at third asking at Belmont by a decisive 5 3/4 lengths last October, Matt King Coal scored a front-running victory over GISP “TDN Rising Star” My Man Sam (Trappe Shot) next out at Aqueduct Mar. 6 in preparation for the Wood Memorial.
“We're excited that he's coming back,” Rice said.
While Matt King Coal begins down the comeback trail, Rice has sent $1 million Fasig-Tipton March sale topper Modest Maven (Uncle Mo) to take his place at the farm for a period of rest. The Chester and Mary Broman runner is still unraced and last breezed Aug. 5.
“We gave her some time off,” Rice said. “We just decided she's young; she's a baby and just wanted to be cautious. We'll probably bring her back into training in a couple of months.”
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