Whisper Hill’s Farm Charge it who missed out on the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers (G1) on August 27 at Racecourse Saratoga because of a leg abscess on his right front foot, he won’t be ready to run in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Racing Parx September 24th.
“We’re running out of time for that,” Hall of Fame coach Todd Pletcher said outside his barn at Saratoga’s Oklahoma Training Track on Aug.
Charge It, a son of Tapit the last race on July 2 at Belmont Park when he overcame five opponents in Dwyer Stakes (G3). He won the race 23 lengths and is set to train up Travers. A week before the race, he had a scratch due to a leg problem.
Since then, Pletcher says the abscess hasn’t healed as quickly as he’d hoped.
“There are some nails that have yet to heal,” says Pletcher. “If you train it, it will stay cranky and never heal. You have to let it heal before you start putting pressure on it.”
Pletcher said Charge It was sold off his stall and was being walked in three times a day. He hopes to be able to get him back into light training later this week.
Charge It has two wins and two seconds in five career starts. After qualifying in the second start, he finished second in the Florida Curlin Derby presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1) April 2 at Gulfstream Park.
He changed his taste when he finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on May 7 at Churchill Downs. Then there was the tour de force in Dwyer, then the failures.
“You better get used to it in this business,” says Pletcher. “It’s always like that.”
With the Pennsylvania Derby, Pletcher said he’ll wait until Charge It heals before pursuing a new goal.
“There are races every weekend,” he said. “First, we have to prepare our feet correctly, and once we do that, we’ll nail down a game plan.”
