Saturday, February 04, 2012

Shackleford, Force Freeze Work; DeVito on Luke of York

Shackleford breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:01.45 Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park in preparation for the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) on Feb. 11. The 2011 Preakness Stakes winner was ridden by jockey Jesus Castanon.

“It was what we were looking for,” trainer Dale Romans said.


Saturday’s workout was the latest in a string of solid workouts in preparation for his first start since finishing a long and productive 2011 campaign with a second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Churchill Downs.

“He hasn’t missed a beat. He hasn’t missed a beat in his life,” Romans said. “It’s nature. He’s just tough.

Shackleford raced three times at Gulfstream last year, including an allowance victory, a fifth in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and a brilliant second-place finish in the Florida Derby (G1), in which he led the way into deep stretch before succumbing by a head to Dialed In.