Victory Avenue Returns Sunday, Florida Derby Likely Next for Ferocious

[Wandering Eyes]

OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, Upland Flats Racing, Morplay Racing, High Step Racing, Lady Sheila Stable and Michael and Jules Iavarone's highly regarded Victory Avenue (Arrogate), unraced since his debut run last winter, returns to the races Sunday at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the colt was second after a troubled start in his debut at Gulfstream on the Pegasus undercard last January. He was entered in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes off that maiden appearance, but was scratched.

“He was just such a naturally fast talented colt that he kind of took us to the [maiden] race,” explained co-owner Ramiro Restrepo. “We started him at the end of January in a race when he really should have just started training at the end of January. Obviously, he put up a ridiculous race. He ran out of his skin, but he kind of told us after the race that he needed some time. We turned him out for a good while and have taken our sweet time.”

Victory Avenue | Coglianese

Victory Avenue returned to the work tab Dec. 7 and has breezed eight times at Gulfstream for his comeback. He drew post two in a field of seven for Sunday's fourth race, a maiden special weight for 4-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs on the main track. Javier Castellano will ride.

“He's had eight workouts so far and he's ready to take that first step. We've been easy on him just to get him back. He hasn't had any crazy bullets or anything like that, but with those works he's fit enough to run and just re-start his career,” Restrepo said. “Obviously last year the imagination was running wild, but I think we're a patient bunch and we're just happy to get him back in the gate.”

Restrepo also reported that JR Ranch, Marquee Bloodstock, High Step Racing and OGMA Investments' Ferocious (Flatter) exited his fourth-place finish in the Feb. 1 GIII Holy Bull Stakes in fine shape. Second in last year's GI Hopeful Stakes and GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, the colt was making his first start since finishing fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He was wearing blinkers for the first time in the Holy Bull and found himself within a head of the lead after six furlongs before tiring.

“He was tired seven furlongs in. From the quarter [pole] home he kind of flattened out, and that's fine. It happens. He came out of it well. It was nice to have gotten a start in to get the year going,” Restrepo said. “The positive is that he did so many things that nobody even notices. He would get really nervous in the paddock. He would get really nervous in the post parade. He would get nervous in the gate and he would run in pieces in his races. He wouldn't run a complete race. Those were huge questions for us. With the blinkers and the time [off], all those boxes were checked. He behaved like a total gentleman in the paddock, he behaved like a total gentleman in the post parade and starting gate. That was huge for us.”

Ferocious's likely next start is expected to be the Mar. 29 GI Florida Derby.

“I don't know what Gustavo's next move is going to be,” Restrepo said. “The plan was to go Holy Bull-Florida Derby. I believe that seems to be the same plan. I haven't heard him say we have to go Fountain of Youth or reroute to another place or anything like that. I'm assuming Florida Derby will be the next start, and we have ample time to keep building on his training for the Florida Derby.”

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