Odyle, a promising Kentucky Derby candidate who twice defeated Derby runner-up Cavonnier, might have competed in the Run for the Roses. Instead, after learning of a nearly undetected injury, it was decided to give the $70,000 Keeneland yearling purchase time to heal rather than go for the glory.
It could pay off down the road for Toffan, co-owners Trudy McCaffery and Ron Brimacombe, and trainer Paco Gonzalez.
"We'll scan him shortly, even though we never found anything," Gonzalez said. "The first time we nuclear-scanned him, it showed a little bit of heat in his left ankle, even though it had always been ice cold and tight.
"After that, we took X-rays but they didn't show anything wrong. But Dr. (Greg) Ferraro said to give him six-to-eight weeks off, just to make sure. He said, 'You can run the horse if you want . . . I know it's a hard decision for you now, because of the Kentucky Derby. But the good thing about a nuclear scan is that it saves a lot of horses. If it already showed some heat in there, whatever is bothering him has to be way inside the bone.
"He's a 3-year-old, and if you give him six-to-eight weeks, it's going to heal. But if you keep going, he might make a race, he might make or two, but one of these days, it's going to go.'
"So I talked to (co-owner) John (Toffan), and he said to give him the time . . . If he's all right, we'll bring him back."
Paco's brother, Sal Gonzalez Sr., father of jockey Sal Gonzalez Jr., first noticed something was bothering Odyle.
"After he galloped him one day, he told me the horse took a couple of funny steps when he pulled up," Paco said. "But when we walked him home, he never walked any better. We brought him back to the barn, gave him a bath, walked him, cooled him off and he was fine.
"I let him stand in the sun for about 15 minutes, and then he took a couple of bad steps again. The doctors came and checked him, jogged him back and forth, but found nothing. We thought maybe it was a bruise. But John didn't want to take a chance, so he sent him to (Eskay Farm in) Bradbury . . . Hopefully, he should be back to 100 percent."
The buoyant Baffert, of course, came within a nose of winning with Cavonnier. Feld is the corpulent and comedic conditioner of Ready to Order, who beat Cavonnier a head as a 2-year-old in the California Breeders' Championship Stakes.
That doesn't make him the Derby winner, but it does provide a barometer on the son of Order's talent level. Ready to Order didn't get a chance to strut his stuff in the Triple Crown races due to bruised front feet. But Feld is hopeful he'll eventually show his class.
"He's galloping every day," Feld said. "I might breeze him soon. He's doing great. His foot is healed and he's been galloping about four weeks."
Feld was not surprised with Cavonnier's smashing Derby effort.
"I think Baffert's told a few people that I had more confidence in his horse than he did. I think I did. I know my horses is a terrific horse and I think Bob's is, too. I think they're real close.
"Ready to Order's first injury was to his to his right foot. But his left ended up being bruised worse. I don't know what the heck happened. He must have stepped on a shoe on the track or something, because it was pretty severe."
Feld said he'd like to have Ready to Order make the $500,000 Swaps Stakes on July 21, "but I don't have a schedule. I'm just going to let him tell me and go from there."
Feld keeps things in perspective. "I would have liked to gone to the Kentucky Derby, but I'd rather have a Strub horse next year than a stud horse (now)."
AVENUE SHOPPER --Ran winning race in defeat but couldn't overhaul odds-on Tootsie, who was dropping from stakes company to $62,500 claimer. Should prevail with similar effort at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.
TAKE LIBERTIES -- Great Britain-bred filly was in tight entering backstretch, still finished fourth. deserves another chance vs. allowance grass fillies at mile or longer.
THE BEDOUIN -- Trainer Barry Abrams has a knack for improving horses, and this son of Desert Wine is his latest restoration project. Jumped from maiden claiming victory to win $55,000 claimer on turf, while wide throughout 5 1/2-furlong race. Should have another victory in him unless he's stacked against Grade I foes.
TINY BOOTS -- Middle-priced claiming mare ran too good to lose when beaten two noses in third-place finish after being bumped at the start. Price won't be appealing, but she should hold on next time vs. $32,000 sprinters.
THE HOMESTRETCH: : Eoin Harty, able assistant to Bob Baffert, said 17-10 Preakness favorite Cavonnier came out of the race in good shape and will be pointed to the Belmont Stakes. "Bob said the horse was a little flat and speed was holding all day. If you weren't on the lead, you weren't in it. But when 3-year-olds go a mile-and-three-sixteenths and they go three-quarters in 1:09 (4/5), I figured the leaders were definitely going to stop. I thought Cavonnier was in a good position, but it didn't materialize." . . .Craig Lewis reports Larry The Legend is galloping at Santa Anita, but makes no commitment as to the colt's return to racing. "He really looks good and he's coming along," said the owner/trainer of the rags-to-riches horse. "We're trying to take our time, but he doesn't want to take his. It's accelerating daily and we're real pleased with his progress right now . . . Fate's been kind to us. So far, he's passed every barrier, but he hasn't even breezed yet." . . . Richard Mandella on P.T. Indy, the first son of 1992 Horse of the Year and Breeders' Cup Classic winner A.P. Indy to get to the races: "So far, he's just a nice colt. I don't have him screwed down so tight that I could say this would be his big race. But he can run a little bit. I don't know that he's a superstar or anything yet." That was before P.T. Indy ran second in his debut at Hollywood Park . The Kentucky-bred colt did not break all that well, raced gamely through the lane but could not overtake another first-timer, Swiss Yodeler, from the red-hot Mike Harrington barn. Other news from Mandella: Afternoon Deelites starts in the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont on Memorial Day; Soul of the Matter will tackle Cigar in the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 30; Romarin and Atticus will face Fastness in the Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile on June 16, and Sandpit makes his next start in the Hollywood Turf Handicap on Memorial Day. Two other Mandella aces, the promising filly Advancing Star and turf specialist Talloires, are making comebacks. "Advancing Star is galloping but she's still six-to-eight weeks away," Mandella said of the filly who is recovering from a stress fracture. "Talloires is back jogging. He might run at the end of this meet or at Del Mar." Kent Desormeaux on Afternoon Deelites' seven furlong workout last Tuesday in 1:22 2/5: "It was awesome. He worked in company but was really, really in hand. Working with another horse beside him helps him gain maturity. He's not so much immature as just plain racy. He wants his head in front." Added Mandella: "I don't think he's ever been better than he is right now."
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