Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Confidence Game , who missed the May 20 Preakness Stakes (G1) after training below standard, according to trainer Keith Desormeaux, is receiving a rest after a checkup from equine surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage.
The Candy Ride colt, 10th in the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, now recuperates at Rebecca Maker Equine Rehab and Breaking in Versailles, Ky., Desormeaux said.
Bramlage “thought he might have had a high suspensory (strain) and maybe some bone bruising, but nothing to that would require major time off or surgery or any of that—just some bumps and bruises from a tough campaign through his 2- and 3-year-old year,” Desormeaux said. “So he’s going to get 30 days off, and then we’re going to evaluate again and see if he needs 30 more or if he can go back into training.”
The 3-year-old, 3-1-2 in eight starts with earnings of $785,525, races for Don’t Tell My Wife Stables and Ocean Reef Racing. He came into the Derby following a break of 70 days, a move Desormeaux hoped would leave the colt ready to race more than once in the Triple Crown. That failed to materialize after a fresh Confidence Game, who stalked a quick pace in the Derby before tiring down the stretch under James Graham, exited the race shy of top condition.
“But it’s hard to complain,” Desormeaux said, noting the colt’s achievements that brought him to the Derby.
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