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Mucho Macho Man seen in this file photo from 2011 training for the Kentucky Derby.
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Coming off a second-place finish in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, Mucho Macho Man was supposed to be one of the top horses in the nation this year.
Instead, he’s a huge question mark in Saturday’s Grade I Whitney Handicap.
In his two starts this year, the 5-year-old Mucho Macho Man was pulled up in the Sunshine Millions Classic in January and then finished third in the five-horse Criminal Type Stakes at Belmont on June 14.
Training steadily since the Criminal Type, Mucho Macho Man shipped to Saratoga in early July, where his connections believe he’s ready to return to his top 2012 form, when he won the Gulfstream Park and Suburban Handicaps.
“We had a tough start in 2013,” owner Dean Reeves said. “We have a lot of confidence that the rest of this year will be great. We’re thrilled to be here. We think he’s gotten back into position where he was last year. He’s moving forward. We’re looking forward to a great race.”
Sent off as the 2-5 favorite in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream, Mucho Macho Man was pulled up when he didn’t handle the sloppy track.
Soon after that he was diagnosed with a bacterial infection and then a virus, setting him back even more before finally returning in the Criminal Type.
“This year, we had a slow start,” said trainer Kathy Ritvo, 44, who underwent heart transplant surgery in 2008. “We ran into a track that was not to his liking. Then, he came up with a virus. We restarted everything because he’s such a good horse. He came back and had a really good race in the Criminal Type. It was a good race, and it turned out to be a tough race. We were proud of his effort. I think it has set him up perfectly for this. It’s a tough field, but he belongs here.”
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Bill Parcells will be inducted into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame of Saturday. On Thursday, his horse, Saratoga Snacks, finished third as the favorite in the $ 100,000 John Morrissey Stakes won by Saginaw. Racing in tight quarters throughout under jockey Joel Rosario, Saratoga Snacks, could only get up for third after an eventful ride, marking the first time in his career that the 4-year-old finished worse than second. “He (Rosario) said he got in a little bit of problem there, but we’ll see what happens next time,” trainer Gary Sciacca said. Before the race, Sciacca was hopeful to start Saratoga Snacks in the Grade I Forego Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 31. Saginaw returned $ 7.40 to win and now has won 15 of his last 19 starts.
