So Happy Scratched from Belmont Stakes Due to Ankle Issue
So Happy, the Kentucky Derby ninth-place finisher who was being considered for the Belmont Stakes, will not compete in the June 6 classic at Saratoga due to a tender ankle.
Lead owner Hans Maron of Saints or Sinners explained the situation in a Friday afternoon telephone interview with Horse Racing Nation. “Just a little swelling in the ankle that’s flared up a couple times,” Maron said. “We had treated it before the Derby. It had nothing to do with how he ran. He was training great and went into the Derby great. It’s just enough where we’re cognizant of it and trying to make the right decision with him.”
Santa Anita-based trainer Mark Glatt confirmed earlier Friday that the two-time graded-stakes winner would “not run in the Belmont.” On May 9, Glatt had expressed lukewarm interest to the Santa Anita media department, stating “we’re going to evaluate things here a little bit, then we’ll make plans about what to do moving forward.”
Strong Belmont Consideration Before Injury
Maron, who operates Saints or Sinners from Versailles, Kentucky, with his wife Ana, revealed that the Belmont had actually been under serious consideration for So Happy.
“We did look,” he said. “We had interest, especially that it was a mile-and-a-quarter. He’s just got a little wear and tear that we’re just trying to evaluate.”
The 3-year-old Runhappy colt’s racing schedule will depend on how his ankle responds to rest and treatment. He may compete in Grade 1 stakes this summer or be given time off for a late-year comeback.
Potential Racing Options
“We’re just not quite certain yet,” Maron said. “We’re just waiting on some results, but it’s nothing major, for sure. We could push on and look at the Haskell (July 18 at Monmouth Park) or Parx for the Pennsylvania Derby (Sept. 19). Those would be things we’d look at. Obviously the Matt Winn (G3, June 7 at Churchill Downs) maybe as a prep, but we’re starting to run out of time.”
If So Happy receives an extended break, Maron outlined several Grade 1 targets for the future. “Let’s say we give him some time off,” Maron said. “The Malibu (Dec. 26 at Santa Anita) would probably be good, timing-wise. We would probably try to get a prep in him and then look at that last 3-year-old race of the year. And then you have the Pegasus (Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park) after that as an option. You know, long term, maybe the Saudi Cup, maybe the Dubai World Cup. The Saudi is a mile-and-an-eighth on one turn. It would be pretty ideal, especially for the money ($20 million purse).”
Optimal Distance and Breeders’ Cup Prospects
While Maron believes So Happy can compete at 1 1/4 miles, he acknowledged the colt’s optimal distance range might be between seven furlongs and 1 1/16 or possibly 1 1/8 miles.
If So Happy continues his 3-year-old campaign without interruption, he could be a Breeders’ Cup candidate, though Maron expressed caution.
“It would depend on the competition,” Maron said. “Obviously the (Dirt) Mile would be probably more of a target instead of trying to knock off Sovereignty or Journalism and those kind of guys (in the Classic). The mile would be open, for sure.”
Racing Resume
So Happy secured his Kentucky Derby berth with a 2 3/4-length victory in the April 4 Santa Anita Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles. That performance followed a third-place finish in the March 7 San Felipe (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, his first two-turn race. He began his career with two sprint victories, including the seven-furlong San Vicente (G2) on January 10.
Impact on Belmont Field
So Happy’s absence removes a potential early-pace factor from the 1 1/4-mile Belmont Stakes. Without him, third-place Preakness finisher Chip Honcho, Peter Pan (G3) winner Growth Equity, and Kentucky Derby 12th-place finisher Potente are the Belmont Stakes candidates most likely to show early speed or stalk the pace.
Long-Term Racing Plans
Maron emphasized that breeding considerations will not rush So Happy’s retirement from racing.
“We’re going to handle him like he’s a gelding,” he said. “Obviously, you want to win at the highest level, but we want to make some money with him racing. We’ll worry about the breeding part later, and hopefully he just proves it on the track. Then we don’t even have to think about it, really, until somebody comes to us.”
So Happy is owned 75% by Saints or Sinners and 25% by Robbie Norman. Maron expressed his desire for an extended racing career for the colt.
“We want to race,” Maron said. “I hope he’s around when he’s 5 or 6, and we can enjoy him that way.”
