Richard’s Kid will make his second start on turf when the 8-year-old
Lemon Drop Kid horse runs in Saturday’s Grade II San Marcos Stakes at 1 ¼
miles on the grass.
With Richard’s Kid, a millionaire twice over who has
tortoise-like speed until he hits the homestretch, it’s about the
distance and not the surface.
“The distance is huge,” said trainer Doug O’Neill. “That’s the
big thing. He’s probably really a mile and a half horse, but there are
not a lot of options. The horse is doing great. We’ve given him plenty
of time and kind of freshened him up.
“He ran great down at Del Mar, which is turf-like with its
Polytrack. We’re happy to have (Edwin) Maldonado on him. He can really
ride. We’ve had some great riders on Richard’s Kid. We’re just trying
something new and seeing what we can do.”
Richard Kid’s last victory came in the mile and a half Cougar II
Handicap at Del Mar last July. A world traveler who has raced in
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and the United Arab Emirates, in
addition to California, he has 11 wins from 39 starts with earnings of
$2,301,385.