Richard’s Kid is a rarity in racing these days. He’s a 7-year-old
full horse (not a gelding) that’s still racing at the game’s highest
level.
On Saturday, Nov. 3, at Santa Anita, the Maryland-bred son of
1999 Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid runs in the $5 million
Breeders’ Cup Classic at a mile and a quarter.
Doug O’Neill, who has trained Richard’s Kid for only his two
previous starts, thirds in both the Pacific Classic and the Awesome
Again Stakes, is optimistic that the Classic will present an ideal
scenario for the late-running multi-millionaire, who has earned more
than $2.1 million thanks mainly to 11 wins from 37 career starts.
Ordinarily, O’Neill’s base of operations is Betfair Hollywood Park.
“He’s doing great; he’s doing super,” O’Neill said of Richard’s
Kid as the countdown to
the Classic drew to two weeks. “He’s training really well. We
intentionally have had all our Breeders’ Cup horses training here at
Santa Anita to get used to the heavier track, and I love the way he’s
training.
“He worked the other day (six furlongs Monday in 1:13.40) and
went great. He’ll have one more work, but he gallops like he works, he
gallops so strong. But he’ll have one more official work before the big
race.
“I don’t have a specific date right now, but usually I like to
do it about 10 days before the race. That gives them plenty of time to
recover.”