Saturday, April 7, 2012
Contact: Jon Forbes
CALIBRACHOA SCRATCHED FROM G1 CARTER HANDICAP
Todd Pletcher, who trains the five-time graded stakes winner for Mike Repole, said a quarter crack necessitated the defection.
“Two starts ago [in the Grade 3 Toboggan] he stumbled out of the gate and grabbed a quarter,” said Pletcher. “It kind of grew down into the wall area on the inside quarter of his right, front foot. We thought he worked well the other day, but we couldn’t quite get it ready for today. It’s a case where by Monday or Tuesday it would have been OK.”
All five of Calibrachoa’s graded stakes wins have come at Aqueduct, including the 2011 and 2012 editions of the Toboggan and Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap. In the Tom Fool, he defeated Carter entrants Caleb’s Posse and Emcee.
“It’s disappointing because the horse loves Aqueduct and it’s a Grade 1 opportunity over a track he seems to prefer over all others,” said Pletcher.
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