Gunnevera Set to Return to Training

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Bernies Blog

MIAMI GARDENS - Unraced since finishing third in the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 30, multiple graded stakes-winner Gunnevera is set for a return to training at Gulfstream Park West.

“Gunnevera will be here Monday,” trainer Antonio Sano said. “He had a fracture in his left hind leg, but he’s 100 percent now.” Sano said if all goes well in Gunnevera’s training, the 5-year-old son of Dialed In could make a return to the races in late December at Gulfstream Park. He was sidelined while preparing for a scheduled start in the Aug. 31 Woodward at Saratoga.

Margoth’s veteran campaigner completed his 2018 campaign with a runner-up finish behind Accelerate in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, This year he finished sixth in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream before venturing to Dubai. He's earned $5.5 million during his 21-race career.

Gemo Prevails over California Chrome’s Half Brother in Maiden Test

Rodrigo Cunha’s Gemo made good use of his good turn of foot to win Race 5 on Friday’s program at Gulfstream West, prevailing by three-quarters of a length over Fort McHenry, a 2-year-old half-brother to two-time Horse of the Year California Chome.

Gemo ($7.20) opened a clear lead in the backstretch run of the mile maiden special weight race, withstood a three-wide bid by Fort McHenry on the far turn and held off the 7-5 favorite late under Jeffrey Sanchez.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Fort McHenry, a son of Tapit who sold for $1.1 million at the 2018 Keeneland September sale, was making his second career start and first around two turns. He finished fifth in a seven-furlong off-the-turf race at Saratoga in his debut on Aug. 17.

“He came running. I think the horse in front kind of stopped and just kind of stayed even and we were able to gain some ground on him,” said jockey Edgard Zayas. “It looks like he’s still a little green. I feel like he has more potential in him; we’ve just got to figure him out. The way speed has been holding didn’t help him a lot, either, but there was a lot of speed at the beginning and I was hoping he’d kick on from there and he kind of evened out.”

Gemo, a homebred son of Gemologist, was making his third lifetime start after finishing third at Gulfstream going seven furlongs in his first start for trainer Rohan Crichton on Aug. 10.