Injured Jockey Centeno Returns Home, May Miss 6-8 Weeks

No Immediate Plans for Undefeated 3-Year-Old Bobcat

 

 BALTIMORE – Hillwood Stable’s Maryland-bred stakes winner Phlash Phelps is headed back to stakes company off his optional claiming allowance victory May 20 on the Black-Eyed Susan Day undercard at Pimlico Race Course.

 

Trainer Rodney Jenkins said Wednesday that the 5-year-old gelding would be pointed to the $75,000 Find Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds and up on the turf June 25, closing weekend of the 28-day Preakness Meet at Pimlico.

 

Phlash Phelps won the Find last August when it was contested at Laurel Park, in the midst of a four-race win streak. He followed up with a victory in the Maryland Million Turf to cap his 4-year-old campaign, but saw the streak end when third in the Henry S. Clark Stakes April 23 at Laurel following a six-month layoff.

 

Rather than the $250,000 Longines Dixie (G2) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on turf, run one race prior to the 141st Preakness Stakes (G1) May 21, Jenkins opted for the $55,000 allowance at the same distance a day earlier.

 

Under Victor Carrasco, Phlash Phelps raced in contention before taking over the lead at the top of the stretch and going on to a two-length victory as the 3-1 second choice in a field of 14 that included Grade 2 winner Mucho Mas Macho, Grade 3 winner Metaboss and Barrel of Love, an earner of more than $405,000.

 

“We were thrilled. There were some decent horses in there. It wasn’t any gimmee, that’s what we like. I judge them on what they run against, not really whether they win or lose,” Jenkins said. “It was a good second race back. I was pleased with his first race. We just had to use him so much up on that front end that he got tired the last 50 yards. He didn’t get beat but a length and a quarter coming off that layoff. I was pleased with him.”

 

Jenkins has been pleased with how Phlash Phelps bounced out of the most recent effort, his fifth win from 12 lifetime starts that  pushed his bankroll near $250,000.

 

“He came out of the race as good as he went in it. We’re real pleased with that,” he said. “His energy level is real high this week. We’ll run back in the Find, a race he won last year. That seems to work pretty good.”

 

Injured Jockey Centeno Returns Home, May Miss 6-8 Weeks

 

Journeyman rider Daniel Centeno has returned home to Tampa, Fla. to continue his recovery from a fractured collarbone suffered during the fourth race on the Preakness Day undercard.

 

Centeno, 44, was injured when his mount, 4-year-old filly Pramedya, suffered a fatal breakdown in the 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on the turf course. Centeno was taken to the hospital where he spent the night before returning to Florida.

 

“It’s not a bad break at all. It’s not displaced and it doesn’t require surgery. They estimate six to eight weeks, possibly sooner,” Centeno’s agent, Kevin Witte, said Wednesday. “It’s good news in the sense that it was a horrific spill and he’s lucky he got away just with what happened.”

 

A native of Venezuela with more than 2,300 career wins, Centeno ranked second at Tampa Bay Downs’ current meet with 98 wins and nearly $1.5 million in purse earnings. The meet ends June 30.

 

“He’s resting now at home. He’s disappointed that it happened but it’s part of the business,” Witte said. “He’ll follow up with his doctor and that might alter the time frame, I don’t know. It just depends on how fast they heal.”

 

No Immediate Plans for Undefeated 3-Year-Old Bobcat

 

Rather than force Rich Dalone Stable’s undefeated but lightly raced gelding Bobcat into his stakes debut, trainer Dale Capuano decided to skip several options over Preakness weekend and patiently await another spot.

 

An impressive winner of both his starts this year, each at Laurel Park, the son of sprint champion Orientate was being considered for the Latin American Racing Channel Sir Barton and Chick Lang on dirt or the James W. Murphy on turf, all restricted to 3-year-olds.

 

Unraced since April 22, his last timed breeze came May 8 at Laurel going six furlongs in 1:14.40, the fastest of five horses.

 

“Bobcat is still not ready. He’s coming back. I have no idea when he’ll race. I’ll have to find something for him. We’ll figure something out,” Capuano said. “We missed training because of the weather and he just wasn’t up to running against those horses, I didn’t feel. It wasn’t fair to put him in that position. We have a lot of options with him. We’ll just keep them all open. When I think he’s ready to run I’ll get a couple breezes into him and see where we’re at and then we’ll start to look for a race hopefully.”

 

Capuano ran three horses on Preakness weekend, finishing fifth behind Ben’s Cat with Rapid Dan in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint, seventh by less than five lengths to Lady Shipman with Disco Barbie in the The Very One, and last of 11 in the Gallorette (G2) with Monster Sleeping.

 

“Things didn’t work out for either one of those fillies. [Monster Sleeping] was down on the inside which I don’t think was the best part to be with her post position. She got in some trouble and shuffled back. She didn’t run a horrible race considering but she never really got a chance to run,” Capuano said. “Rapid Dan ran fine. He got stuck down on the rail from the one hole again and that wasn’t the best spot for him. He likes to be outside a little bit, but that’s the luck of the draw.”