Bodhisattva makes Maryland return

by | Jun 18, 2016 | Breaking, Maryland, MD Racing, Racing

Bodhisattva’s win in the 2015 Tesio propelled him to a Preakness berth. Photo by Laurie Asseo.

From a Maryland Jockey Club release

For the first time since finishing eighth in last year’s Preakness Stakes (G1), Bodhisattva makes his return to Maryland in a $47,000 optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles that serves as the feature of Sunday’s eight-race, Father’s Day program at historic Pimlico Race Course.

Owned and trained by Laurel Park-based Jose Corrales, Bodhisattva is winless in seven starts since his primarily front-running 1 ½-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Federico Tesio four weeks prior to the Preakness, where he was a brief factor before being eased behind Triple Crown champion American Pharoah.

Following that effort, the 4-year-old Student Council colt was off the board in a trio of stakes including the Pegasus (G3) and Canadian Derby (G3), then moved to trainer Doug O’Neill’s barn in California over the winter. Winless in three starts, most recently May 19 at Santa Anita, he returned to Corrales last month and has been training steadily for his return.

“I’ve had him for over a month. He’s doing very well. I think that they did a very good job with the horse over there after he came out of the layoff,” Corrales said. “I just think maybe he likes Maryland and I hope he does well. He’s training very good and I expect that we’ll have a good result with him tomorrow.”

Listed at 15-1 on the morning line, Bodhisattva will be ridden by Taylor Hole from post 5 in an eight-horse field topped by 9-5 program favorite Mr Palmer, the 2015 Claiming Crown Jewel runner-up who exits a victory in the one-mile More To Tell Stakes April 2 at Aqueduct.

“I expect that maybe we can bring him all the way from the back and make one run and see what happens. He made a very good run at Santa Anita first time out and I thought, ‘Wow, we’ve got the horse back real good,’ but after the other two races he didn’t like it,” Corrales said. “I think he’s going to be good.”

Including Pimlico, Laurel and Timonium, Bodhisattva has made nine career starts in Maryland with three wins, one second and two thirds. In 2014 he broke his maiden and won an optional claiming allowance at Laurel, and returned in 2015 to run second in the Private Terms Stakes prior to his Tesio victory.

“Everybody’s very happy that he’s come back,” Corrales said. “It’s good to see him back and, myself, I like the horse. He’s the horse that brought me to the biggest races of my life.”