Remsen S. (G2) winner ROCKPORT HARBOR (Unbridled’s Song) has been nominated
to the $325,000 Lexington S. (G2) on April 23 at Keeneland, trainer John Servis
said Monday. The gray colt also remains under consideration for the $1 million
Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 16 at Oaklawn Park.
“I need to have a Plan B in case Rocky can’t make the (Arkansas) Derby,”
Servis said. “The Arkansas Derby is the ideal race, but I won’t know for a
couple of days if he can make the race. They accept late nominations for the
Lexington, I guess for horses who are scrambling, and that’s us.
Rockport Harbor, who has been plagued by foot problems, was found to have a
large blood clot on the right side of his neck over the weekend.
“This is something I’ve never seen before,” Servis said. “It’s infected, but
the good thing is there was no pus, and it’s not forming an abscess. Otherwise,
we’d be done.”
On Sunday, Rockport Harbor was treated by Dr. Douglas Byars, a Lexington,
Kentucky-based veterinarian.
“The clot is dissolving, and, in time, he will make a complete recovery,”
Servis said. “But time is not on our side. That’s for sure.
“We plan to take Rocky back to the track on Wednesday and we’ll go from
there. Right now, I can’t say with any certainty if he’ll make the (Arkansas)
Derby or not. That’s why I had to call Keeneland.”
In his sophomore debut, Rockport Harbor suffered his first career defeat when
finishing a close second to Greater Good (Intidab) in the Rebel S. (G3) on March 19 at Oaklawn Park.