Wise Dan to use Shadwell Turf Mile as his BC prep

Wise Dan showed his championship mettle to hold off Optimizer, but trainer Charlie LoPresti won’t lobby for a third Horse of the Year title (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos) Though he has been with Wise Dan throughout a 30-race campaign that began in the winter of 2010, trainer Charlie LoPresti continues to be awed by his two-time Horse of the Year. It wasn’t any different on Sunday, the morning after the seven-year-old Morton Fink homebred made a successful and thrilling return to racing by winning the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap in a photo finish. It was the third win in as many starts this year for Wise Dan, but first since having emergency colic surgery on May 16 that briefly threatened his eventual Hall of Fame career. “Can you believe it? It’s incredible,” LoPresti said. “He’s an amazing creature, I’ll tell ya. He seems fine. He ate everything up. We got him out and walked him and his legs looked great. I mean, he’s a little tired but that’s to be expected. He had to really show his heart and class, and that’s what makes him the horse that he is.” Though he entertained several options as he brought Wise Dan back to the races, including the Fourstardave on August 9 at Saratoga, LoPresti ultimately settled on the 1 1/16-mile Bernard Baruch though it meant having to give weight to his opponents.

Wise Dan carried 127 pounds, from eight to 13 more than the
rest of the field. Late-running long shot Optimizer, with 11 fewer pounds, came
flying late on the outside but came up a nose short to the six-time Eclipse
Award winner.

“Optimizer ran a great race,” LoPresti said. “He’s not
going to have to (give weight) anymore. Now he’s got a race in him, and God
willing he’s OK. I was relieved. It’s been tough coming up here with him, just
trying to do the right thing and hoping he didn’t get sick again. We had to
breeze him a bunch to get him ready. It’s been tough in trying to make the right
decision, but I’m glad we ran here.”

Wise Dan boosted his bankroll to just under $7 million and
improved to 3-0 lifetime at Saratoga, including Fourstardave victories in 2012
and 2013. His final time of 1:39.08 was just .17 off the Mellon turf course
record set by Fourstardave in 1991, when the legendary New York-bred carried 115
pounds.

“He was here, we prepped him here, and all he had to do was
walk across the street,” LoPresti said. “I knew the people here at Saratoga
wanted to see him run. The fans wanted to see him run. It was the right thing to
do.

“When (retiring track announcer) Tom Durkin said, ‘Here
comes the future Hall of Famer,’ it was great. I’m glad we ran him here. I love
coming here. I like Saratoga. This is probably the best racing there is, the
Saratoga meet. It’s so tough to win a race here. This makes the fifth year we’ve
come here and won a graded stake.”

Wise Dan will leave Saratoga on Tuesday for Kentucky and
point for the Grade 1, $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile on October 4 at Keeneland
and then the October 31-November 1
Breeders’ Cup, where he is the two-time
defending Mile champion.

It is a similar campaign that led to Wise Dan being voted

champion older male, champion turf male and Horse of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
There hasn’t been a three-time successive Horse of the Year winner since Forego
from 1974-76.

“I’m not trying to lobby for Horse of the Year. I said
something yesterday (on NBC) and then after I said it, I wished I hadn’t,” LoPresti said.

“But if you think about what this horse has been through, why
wouldn’t he be Horse of the Year? He’s undefeated. One thing I don’t ever want
to get into is any kind of match race or anything like that. I’m going to stick
to the plan. He’ll have two more races.

“If we’re lucky enough to win those and
everything goes good, whatever they decide I’m fine with it. He doesn’t have to
get Horse of the Year. He’s my horse of the year if he never wins another race.”

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