Financial Mogul Makes Spa Return Saturday
Winless since breaking his maiden last summer at Saratoga, graded stakes placed Financial Mogul will make his return to the Spa on Saturday in a seven-furlong allowance for 3-year-olds and up on the main track.
Trained by Rick Violette for Klaravich Stable and William H. Lawrence, the Street Boss colt will carry jockey Manuel Franco and 117 pounds from post 10 in the 13-horse field.
"I don't know if he's a come-from-behind sprinter, and we were thinking of trying the turf," Violette said. "Right now we'll just kind of hopefully get his career restarted. It's an awfully bulky field. It looks like there's some speed in there, which will help. We'll kind of get things going and see where we go after that."
The race will be the first for Financial Mogul outside of graded stakes company since taking a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga by 5 ½ lengths on August 31, 2013. Most recently, he was never in contention finishing 12th of 13 in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Woody Stephens on June 7 at Belmont Park.
"He did have some significant bleeding issues, and we got that arrested," Violette said, "but his race on Belmont day was pretty disappointing. We just kind of regrouped and we'll start over. No question he's been running against some serious horses, but when you're beaten 20 lengths it doesn't matter."
Financial Mogul was fourth in the Grade 2 Futurity and second in the Grade 2 Nashua to end his 2-year-old campaign. He began this year running sixth in the Grade 2 Holy Bull and fourth in the Grade 3 Gotham. He was sixth in the Grade 3 Bay Shore prior to the Woody Stephens.
"[This race] is a confidence-builder if he wins. We'll see what he has to show us," Violette said. "At some point, you also get realistic. Maybe they were flashes in the pan, the encouraging races. We need to really kind of find out what he is and then decide. I hope it is a confidence-builder, but he has to show that."
Meanwhile, multiple graded stakes winner Samraat remains in Violette's barn under stall rest while recuperating from July 25 surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right front shin that ended his 3-year-old campaign.
"He looks good, but it'll be months," Violette said. "He'll be [back] next year; there's no hurry. Whatever works for him, works."