I was looking back over the PPs for the Emerald Handicap that was held on Sunday June 18. The horse Flying Notes really stood out to me, not because I was looking at betting on him, but because he had a layoff from August '03 to May '06. That's a good 2 years and 10 months. He made only one start in '03 as well, after taking a year off.
He was a classy stakes horse (won the Emerald Downs Derby) before both major layoffs, and he appears to be working well enough for them to enter him in stakes competition again.
My question is...what sort of injury would cause a horse to be off for so long, but still be able to come back to the races?
I often look at the "lines" in the PPs of horses in the DRF, mostly out of curiousity.
Thanks for any insight.
Emerald Handicap starter- Flying Notes
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
I don't know too much more info than that, but DRF had a few small bits about him as part of larger stories. (Listed below in chronological order.)
'So far, so good' for Flying Notes
Of the returning horses, Flying Notes has traveled the steepest comeback trail. Flying Notes ran the most impressive race in Emerald Downs history when he won the 2002 Emerald Breeders' Cup Derby by more than 11 lengths in a track-record 1:45.40 for 1 1/8 miles, but he injured a tendon shortly thereafter. He has been in and out of training several times since then and even raced once, finishing third in the 2003 Governor's Handicap, but setbacks have always put him back on the sidelines.
Flying Notes had been out of training for more than a year before trainer Bud Klokstad brought him back to the track again in February, and he has since worked four times.
"It's a case of so far, so good," said Klokstad. "The best news is that he still wants to do it. We've had our hands full slowing him down in his works, and I'm confident that if I can get him back to the races he'll fire for me. It's just a question of whether he can hang together. These tendon injuries are awfully hard to deal with, and if he was an ordinary horse I would have given up on him long ago. He's no ordinary horse, though.
"I hope I can get him back, but right now I'm not pointing him to any race," he said. "Right now I'm just holding my breath."
http://drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=73717&subs=0&arc=1
Tough spot for Flying Notes's return
Returning from a much longer layoff in the FSN will be Flying Notes, who was named horse of the meeting here in 2002 when he ran the fastest 1 1/8 miles in the nation while winning the Emerald Derby by a resounding 11 1/4 lengths. Flying Notes injured a tendon shortly thereafter and raced only once at 4 before aggravating his injury. He has now been away nearly three years, and trainer Bud Klokstad admitted he would rather bring him back in a softer spot.
"He'll go on Monday, but it's not exactly with my blessing," said Klokstad. "I would have preferred to bring him back in a nice little allowance race, but nothing filled for him."
Flying Notes has been working fast and Klokstad expects him to give his best, but he is by no means sure his best will still be good enough.
"He is 7 now, and they don't usually get better with age," he said. "He has worked well and he is as fit as I can get him, but who knows if he is still good enough? He worked six furlongs in 1:10 and change, but maybe that's as fast as he can go now. I can pretty much guarantee you that 1:10 and change won't get the job done on Monday. If you can't go down there in 1:08 and change, you're not going to get anything."
http://drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=74904&subs=0&arc=1
Flying Notes looking youthful
Klokstad also reported that the 2002 horse of the meeting, the 7-year-old Flying Notes, has trained well since running seventh in the FSN handicap on May 29, which was his first outing in nearly three years.
"He really ran about as well as I could have hoped, considering how long he had been away," he said. "He might need another race or two before he really shows his best stuff, but he is coming along. Mentally, he is great. He acts like a 3-year-old."
http://drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=75245&subs=0&arc=1
'So far, so good' for Flying Notes
Of the returning horses, Flying Notes has traveled the steepest comeback trail. Flying Notes ran the most impressive race in Emerald Downs history when he won the 2002 Emerald Breeders' Cup Derby by more than 11 lengths in a track-record 1:45.40 for 1 1/8 miles, but he injured a tendon shortly thereafter. He has been in and out of training several times since then and even raced once, finishing third in the 2003 Governor's Handicap, but setbacks have always put him back on the sidelines.
Flying Notes had been out of training for more than a year before trainer Bud Klokstad brought him back to the track again in February, and he has since worked four times.
"It's a case of so far, so good," said Klokstad. "The best news is that he still wants to do it. We've had our hands full slowing him down in his works, and I'm confident that if I can get him back to the races he'll fire for me. It's just a question of whether he can hang together. These tendon injuries are awfully hard to deal with, and if he was an ordinary horse I would have given up on him long ago. He's no ordinary horse, though.
"I hope I can get him back, but right now I'm not pointing him to any race," he said. "Right now I'm just holding my breath."
http://drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=73717&subs=0&arc=1
Tough spot for Flying Notes's return
Returning from a much longer layoff in the FSN will be Flying Notes, who was named horse of the meeting here in 2002 when he ran the fastest 1 1/8 miles in the nation while winning the Emerald Derby by a resounding 11 1/4 lengths. Flying Notes injured a tendon shortly thereafter and raced only once at 4 before aggravating his injury. He has now been away nearly three years, and trainer Bud Klokstad admitted he would rather bring him back in a softer spot.
"He'll go on Monday, but it's not exactly with my blessing," said Klokstad. "I would have preferred to bring him back in a nice little allowance race, but nothing filled for him."
Flying Notes has been working fast and Klokstad expects him to give his best, but he is by no means sure his best will still be good enough.
"He is 7 now, and they don't usually get better with age," he said. "He has worked well and he is as fit as I can get him, but who knows if he is still good enough? He worked six furlongs in 1:10 and change, but maybe that's as fast as he can go now. I can pretty much guarantee you that 1:10 and change won't get the job done on Monday. If you can't go down there in 1:08 and change, you're not going to get anything."
http://drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=74904&subs=0&arc=1
Flying Notes looking youthful
Klokstad also reported that the 2002 horse of the meeting, the 7-year-old Flying Notes, has trained well since running seventh in the FSN handicap on May 29, which was his first outing in nearly three years.
"He really ran about as well as I could have hoped, considering how long he had been away," he said. "He might need another race or two before he really shows his best stuff, but he is coming along. Mentally, he is great. He acts like a 3-year-old."
http://drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=75245&subs=0&arc=1
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magic code
- Starters Handicap
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- Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:32 am
His injury was pretty hush-hush. They had planned to take him to CA and run on the grass after his Derby win. He ran HARD in the Bud-EMD, I followed him back after the race. His first out (in the Fox Sports) wasn't a bad race at all.
If you sign up at www.racereplays.com/emd, you can see the replay of any Emerald race this year for free.
If you sign up at www.racereplays.com/emd, you can see the replay of any Emerald race this year for free.