Owner-trainer Luis Olivares reports that his popular 6-year-old
gelding Tackleberry has begun training on the farm in Ocala and will be
shipped to him at Calder next week to continue preparation for a 2013
campaign expected to commence at Gulfstream Park.
“He doesn’t take long to get ready, so I would think he’ll be ready
to run here later in the meet,” said Olivares, who sent out Rosa
Stephany Taveras’ 3-year-old Sr. Quisqueyano to finish second in
Tuesday’s $100,000 Gulfstream Park Derby.
A Florida-bred by Montbrook, Tackleberry built up a strong fan
following when posting three straight stakes victories at Gulfstream
early in 2011, beginning with the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic
before scores in the Gulfstream Sprint Championship (G2) and Gulfstream
Park Handicap (G2).
Tackleberry ran only twice in 2012, beginning with a game runner-up
effort behind Mucho Macho Man in the Gulfstream Park Handicap in March
with Jackson Bend third and a fourth-place try last out as the favorite
in the $1 million Charles Town Classic (G2) in West Virginia on Apr.14.
Tackleberry will return to the races with a career record of 16-8-3-0 for earnings of $914,600.