Villandry Gets Another Chance in Fair Grounds 'Cap

The afternoon of Jan. 17 was riddled with upsets, but few were more befuddling than the performance of Gainesway Stable’s Villandry in the Grade III $125,000 Col. E. R. Bradley Handicap.  Training well going into the race and coming off a career-best performance when romping in the Grade III $100,000 River City Handicap at Churchill Downs 10 weeks prior, the David Carroll-trained son of Mr. Greeley was sent off at what seemed to be a generous 2-1.  About halfway around the far turn, though, it was obvious that the powerhouse we saw dismantling his foes in Louisville two months prior was not going to reproduce that brilliance. The newly turned 6-year-old gelding retreated to sixth under Florent Geroux, beaten 5¾ lengths.

“I can’t express to you how disappointed I was,” Carroll reflected.  “He trained beautifully going in, was in great shape and for no reason ran a bad race.  It was one of those races where the jockey and I couldn’t see him getting beat – and Florent is having a good meet and knows a good horse when he sits on one.  I was dumbfounded by it.  We went over him with a fine-toothed comb and did not find anything.  That wasn’t him at all.  We just hope it was a throwout.”

Since, the massive Kentucky homebred has returned to work a solid five furlongs in 1:01.80 on Feb. 8 and is training forwardly toward a possible start in the Grade III $125,000 Fair Grounds Handicap on Feb. 21.

“He worked really well and looks terrific,” Carroll said.  “He’s a big, imposing horse who trains with a lot of gusto.  He’s gaining weight and looks superb.  We’ll work him Sunday or Monday and then make our minds up if we’re going to run or not.  (Gainesway principal) Mr. (Antony) Beck and Charlie (LoPresti) told me to throw the race out and if he’s okay and works well, we’ll run him.  If he runs poorly, we’ll send him back to rest.”

Under Carroll’s care for an experimental winter campaign designed to aim toward the three major graded turf stakes on the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots schedule, Villandry is under the care of LoPresti during the remainder of the season.  Otherwise, he would be with the remainder of LoPresti’s stock – like Wise Dan – turned out for the cold months. 

Source: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots