Mucho Macho Man, who was eased across the finish line in the
$400,000 Florida Sunshine Millions last Saturday, returned to a regular
training schedule Monday morning at Gulfstream.
“He went out this morning,” reported trainer Kathy Ritvo. “He’s feeling great.”
After checking out Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s stable star
following the surprising last-place finish as the favorite, Ritvo came
to the conclusion that the sloppy track was the reason for Mucho Macho
Man’s uncharacteristic performance.
In his only other start on a sloppy track, Mucho Macho Man finished a troubled seventh in the 2011 Belmont Stakes.
“I thought it was the bumping coming out of the gate, but I guess it might have been the track,” Ritvo said.
Between the two sloppy track disappointments, the son of Macho Uno
ran in seven stakes on fast tracks, winning four, finishing second twice
and third once.