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Trainer Doug Nunn Continues Overcoming Physical Setbacks In What May Be The Best Year Of His Career

The worst year physically of trainer Doug Nunn's life is heading toward being his best one professionally. Whether that's coincidence or just a matter of everything coming together after 29 years as a trainer he can't say for sure.

But he does have a theory.

“I think it's because I'm off the horses right now,” he joked.

Nunn, a former jockey who has been Monmouth Park-based since 2000, has always exercised the horses he trains, doing so from the time he launched his second career in 1992. That changed on May 3.

Nunn was getting on a horse when he slipped on a bag of shavings. From the fall he snapped his right quadriceps muscle and had to undergo a complicated re-attachment surgery. That left him in a cast and a boot for two months.

“I've ridden horses my whole life. I've always exercised my own horses,” said Nunn. “This is the first time I haven't been able to do that. After you've done it for 30 years that way, just from being on them I can tell you anything about a horse after getting on one. So it's a whole new perspective to see them from the ground and train them from the ground.

“It's hard for me. It's a big adjustment. I learn something new every day.”

The new perspective hasn't had an impact on his results – unless a year that could wind up as the best of his career counts. Nunn is currently 8-for-32 at the Monmouth Park meet and has 11 winners overall from 61 starters. His winning percentage is the highest it has ever been, as is the average earnings per start.

He can now take dead aim at a career-best 17 wins that he recorded in 2011 – again in large part because of his injury.

Nunn, 52, has annually headed to nearby Overbrook Farm to break horses in the winter after the Monmouth Park meet ends. This year, because of his physical limitations, he can no longer do that. So he will ship to Tampa Downs with a division for the first time when Monmouth Park closes.

“Usually at this time of year I'd have 17 or 18 of my own horses and I would start to think about the 20 or so yearlings I would be breaking in another few months on the farm,” he said. “I can't break the horses anymore because of my leg so we'll try to keep things going and try to keep the momentum going by going to Tampa for the first time.”

Nunn, whose twin brother David retired as a trainer this year, comes from a racing family. Both of his parents were trainers at Finger Lakes, where he grew up, and his sister, Michelle Harris, was an accomplished jockey.

So he understands that running a 27-horse stable requires a lot of help.

“My help has been the difference, since I couldn't do anything for quite a while,” said Nunn, citing assistants Kendall Wyszynski, Rafael Aguilar, Fernando Arellano and Melissa Iorio as professional lifesavers when he was incapacitated. “I had to depend on them and they have done a great job. My wife (Maria van Sant) keeps me grounded. So it's a good mix.”

Nunn's stable, which consists mostly of claimers, Jersey-breds and some allowance-quality horses, will look to add to its success during Friday's twilight card at Monmouth Park. He has entered Postino's Idol, an 8-year-old mare recently claimed off a win by Winner Circle Stable, and Ask Around, a 3-year-old coming off a maiden special weight win, in the $71,875 allowance optional claimer that will serve as the feature.

Nunn expects to be able to saddle both, but isn't sure yet since he is scheduled to undergo a procedure on Thursday to remove kidney stones that have plagued him for more than a month.

“It's just one of those years. You learn to take the bad with the good,” he said.

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Monmouth Oaks: John Servis Doubling Up Again, Unbeaten Edie Meeny Mino Mo Faces Big Test

As much as trainer John Servis would prefer to keep his promising 3-year-old fillies Midnight Obsession and Leader of the Band on separate paths, he's sending both in the same stakes race for the second time in four weeks.

Midnight Obsession, second in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on July 3, and Leader of the Band, third in the same race, are part of a nine-horse field for the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks, the headliner on Saturday's 12-race card at Monmouth Park.

“The biggest reason I'm doing this again is because there are not enough 3-year-old races around right now,” said Servis. “But both of these fillies both also deserve this chance. They're both doing really good.”

In the case of Midnight Obsession, who has two wins and two seconds in four career starts, all this year, Servis is also curious to see how the daughter of Overanalyze handles a fast track. She has yet to race on one.

Leader of the Band, with a 2-2-2 line from six career starts, will look to make amends after a poor start in the Delaware Oaks that saw the daughter of Bandbox rally from last in the nine-horse field to get third, though she was beaten 8¾ lengths by race winner Crazy Beautiful.

Midnight Obsession was six lengths behind the winner.

“I think Leader of the Band will improve off her last race,” said Servis. “She got off flat footed and didn't break well at all. And I'm hoping for a fast track for Midnight Obsession to see how she'll handle that. She hasn't run on one yet.”

Midnight Obsession, owned by Main Line Racing Stable, has been more aggressively spotted by Servis to this point. After winning her debut by 5¼ lengths at Parx on March 2, she won an $80,000 allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park. She was then second, beaten just a half-length, in the Lyphard Stakes against older fillies at Penn National on May 28.

The runner-up showing in the Delaware Oaks followed that.

“She has been very forward since day one,” said Servis. “She has run good for us every time so far. When she was second against older fillies (in the Lyphard) she beat the rest of the field pretty good and then hooked a good one in the Delaware Oaks. We're looking for a good race from her.”

The mile and a sixteenth won't be an issue for Midnight Obsession since her last three races have been at that distance.

Paco Lopez is listed to ride.

Leader of the Band, owned by SMD Limited, has had a slower progression to reach this point, though she has never been worse than third in her career.

“I thought she ran well in the Delaware Oaks, all things considered,” said Servis. “She was way back after the break. Quite frankly, I didn't think she had a prayer and she had a nice run to be third. I know she got beat quite a bit. It wasn't her best effort but I expect more from her this time.”

Frankie Pennington has the mount.

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The field also features Penn Oaks winner Orbs Baby Girl, trained by Anthony Margotta; the Joseph Saffie, Jr.-trained Allworthy and Edie Meeny Miny Mo, unbeaten in two career starts, both sprints.

Trainer Miguel Vera is fully aware of the challenges facing his 3-year-old filly Edie Meeny Miny Mo.

She has never been around two turns, nor has she ever tried any stakes company yet. And she's the least experienced filly in the nine-horse field with just two career starts.

But Vera remains confident in her chances in the $250,000 mile and a sixteenth feature for one important reason: Talent. Edie Meeny Miny Mo, he says, oozes it.

“It's a big step up for her but she deserves this chance,” said Vera. “She has shown she has the potential to be a special horse.”

A Maryland-bred daughter of Upstart-Plum by Pure Prize, Edie Meeny Miny Mo was unraced at 2 “because she's a big filly who needed time to grow and develop,” said Vera.

Her debut on April 23 at Pimlico in a six-furlong maiden race was impressive – a 4¼-length win. But her follow-up in an optional $62,000 claimer at Pimlico on June 13 bordered on dazzling. She won that six-furlong dash by six-lengths despite being steadied as Vera used the race to teach her to come off the pace. That effort earned her a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I know there is a question about the distance since her only two races have been six furlongs and she is trying a mile and a sixteenth now,” said the Maryland-based Vera. “I don't think it will be a problem. I feel confident she can go that distance. She's the kind of horse who can go a lot of different distances.

“I'm impressed by what she has done but not surprised by it. She showed she had talent from day one.”

A further endorsement of the filly's ability: Victor Espinoza is coming in to ride. It is the only mount he has scheduled on the 12-race card.

“I'm very confident in her,” said Vera. “I think she is a real race horse. We're going to find out more on Saturday. But she has always shown she should be in these kind of races.

“It's a great race to see where we are with her.”

Owned by Holly Hill Stables LLC, Edie Meeny Miny Mo was purchased for $400,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic 2-year-olds in training sale.

“The day she breezed there she left quite an impression,” said Vera. “She does everything right. Sometimes she does more than I ask her to do. But that's her.”

For Vera, who has been training since 2011, Edie Meeny Mino Mo, also represents the chance for an elusive graded stakes victory. He has yet to get one.

“It would mean a lot to me,” he said. “But just to be in this kind of race, any graded race, is awesome. She has shown me the potential to be the best horse I have ever had.”

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Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Action From Saratoga, Woodbine, Monmouth

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring four graded stakes, with racing action at Saratoga Race Course, Woodbine Racetrack and Monmouth Park.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Monmouth will start the action with the Grade 3, $250,000 Monmouth Oaks for sophomore fillies going 1 1/16 miles in Race 10 at 4:33 p.m. Eastern. Midnight Obsession, the runner-up in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on July 3, will look to earn her first stakes win after back-back second-place finishes following two straight wins to begin her career for trainer John Servis. Her stablemate, Leader of the Band, was third in the 1 1/16-mile Delaware Oaks, giving Servis two formidable contenders. Orbs Baby Girl, sixth in the Delaware Oaks, will also compete for trainer Anthony Margotta, Jr. Allworthy, for conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr., has won her last two starts at Gulfstream Park as she readies for her stakes bow.

The first of three graded stakes at historic Saratoga will start with the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs in Race 8 at 5:03 p.m. Defending Champion Sprinter Whitmore is still a force to reckon with as an 8-year-old, and the Ron Moquett trainee will look to add to his 15 career wins. Accomplishing that feat will be a tall order, as nine-time graded stakes-winner Firenze Fire goes out for trainer Kelly Breen. Firenze Fire has finished fourth in the last two Vanderbilt editions. Lexitonian, sixth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day last month, will look to bounce back for trainer Jack Sisterson.

A seven-furlong turf allowance for fillies and mares 3-and-up will get Woodbine in on the action in Race 9 at 5:17 p.m. Scatter the Clouds, trained by Michael Keogh, was a debut winner on June 27 at Woodbine and will look to go 2-for-2. Queen's Speed, conditioned by Robert Tiller, won back-to-back starts to close out her 2020 campaign and started her 4-year-old year with a runner-up effort on June 26 at Woodbine off the layoff.

Saratoga will close the sequence with the final two legs, as a talented six-horse field of accomplished sophomores will contest the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy going 1 1/8 miles in Race 9 at 5:39 p.m. The prep for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 28 will see superstar Essential Quality make his first start since winning the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes last month. The reigning Champion 2-Year-Old has won six of his seven career starts, tallying three Grade 1 scores, and his only loss was a competitive fourth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs. Essential Quality, whose juvenile year helped earn Brad Cox the Eclipse Award as Outstanding Trainer in 2020, will go up against Weyburn, Dr Jack, Masqueparade, Keepmeinmind and Risk Taking.

The finale will be the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green for 4-year-olds and up going 1 3/8 miles on the Saratoga inner turf in Race 10 at 6:13 p.m. Channel Cat, one of three sons of English Channel entered for Saturday's 63rd renewal, won the 2019 Bowling Green and will look to tally another one for conditioner Jack Sisterson. Bill Mott, who is tied with fellow Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher for most Bowling Green victories with four, will saddle a trio of contenders, including the reigning Champion Turf Male Channel Maker, graded-stakes winner Red Knight and multiple graded-stakes placed Moon Over Miami.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, July 31:
Leg A: Monmouth – Race 10, G3 Monmouth Oaks (4:33 p.m.)
Leg B: Saratoga – Race 8, G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt (5:03 p.m.)
Leg C: Woodbine – Race 9 (5:17 p.m.)
Leg D: Saratoga – Race 9, G2 Jim Dandy (5:39 p.m.)
Leg E: Saratoga – Race 10, G2 Bowling Green (6:13 p.m.)

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‘Life After Imperial Hint’: Carvajal En Route To Tallying Personal Best Number Of Wins In A Season

If Luis Carvajal, Jr., had any doubts about the direction his training career would take following the retirement of multiple Grade 1 winner Imperial Hint they have long disappeared.

With nine horses entered over Monmouth Park's three-day racing weekend – including Prendimi in the featured Irish War Cry Handicap for Jersey-breds on Saturday – the 49-year-old native of Santiago, Chile is well on his way to setting a personal best for victories in a season.

He has 22 wins overall from 135 starts so far, having gone 9-for-52 at the current Monmouth Park meet, after a career-best 24 winners a year ago.

“There's definitely life after Imperial Hint. Definitely,” Carvajal said. “Now we've just got to find the next one.”

Imperial Hint, who retired after racing just once in 2020, finished with 14 wins in 25 starts and $2,209,055 in earnings. He left a void in Carvajal's barn that is almost impossible to fill with just one horse. So Carvajal has compensated with more horses than he has ever had in a career that began in 2006.

The result has been what looks to be the fourth straight year that Carvajal will increase his overall win total.

“That's what happens when you have more horses,” he said. “If you get more horses you have more chances to run in different races and more chances to win. I probably have 10 more horses than I had last year. It makes a difference.”

Just as Imperial Hint made a difference in his career.

“A horse like that can help pull you up as a trainer, because it shows you can win Grade 1 races,” said Carvajal, whose barn is adorned with a Fleur-de-lis, as are some of the hats he wears. 'Once you get your name out there for doing that it helps with everything you do. It keeps your name out there. Definitely, Imperial Hint gave my career a boost.”

These days, Carvajal is relying more on allowance horses, claimers, Jersey-breds and maidens.

He entered Expect to Be Ready in tonight's third race, a maiden special weight sprint on the turf, and Give It a Go in the sixth race, a maiden $25,000 claimer.

He has five entered on Saturday's 13-race card (including one MTO entrant) and two on the 10-race Sunday program.

“It's been busy for us,” he said. “Like I said, when you have more horses to run you can be busy. It's going to be a busy weekend for us. We like that. You can't make money if you don't race.”

In Saturday's $85,000 Irish War Cry he will be trying Prendimi on the turf for just the second time. The gelded son of Dance With Ravens is Carvajal's second all-time money-earner behind Imperial Hint with $360,480 banked so far,

That race is at a mile on the grass.

“Prendimi is my big boy now,” said Carvajal. “We tried him once on the grass before this. He was not horrible. He was coming off a layoff and was too close to the pace and they were really rolling. So I'm going to throw out that race and I'm hoping he runs a good race on the grass.”

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