The 2024 O'Brien Award winner for three-year-old pacing colts, Nijinsky has returned to the stable of Anthony Beaton after some rehab time away from the track. His return date for racing action is yet to be etched in stone.

A winner of nearly $2 million in his career, Nijinsky (Bettors Delight - Pirouette Hanover) sports a summary of 14-8-4 in his 32-start career with a mark of 1:47.3 taken at The Meadowlands in 2024. This year, Nijinsky has made five starts, finishing in the top three in each (2-2-1) with his third-place finish coming in his most recent appearance for Beaton and owners West Wins Stable of Wellington, Fl., John Fielding of Scarborough, Ont., Mark Dumain of Pine Bush, N.Y., and Winbak Farm of Chesapeake City, Md.

Nijinsky last raced in the 2025 Graduate Series final on July 5 at The Meadowlands. Sent off as the slight second choice, Nijinsky finished a solid third after a first-over attack on eventual winner Sabonis. Beaton noted that the connections were close to scratching Nijinsky from that race as he didn't have the best week heading into it, but still provided a valiant effort in defeat.

Beaton credited the determination of Nijinsky in that Graduate performance, noting the horse had every excuse not to finish in the top three.

"The war horse and gutsy fella that he is, he just refuses to let anybody go by him," Beaton told Trot Insider in a recent conversation. "Pure guts and determination. But he didn't come out of that race where we wanted him to come out."

With concern for a possible P1 issue, the connections sent Nijinsky for a CT scan. No break was found, and no crack was found. The recommendation was rehab time in a different environment.

"They suggested getting him on a water treadmill for a month, and the month was up yesterday," said Beaton last week, indicating the horse is back in his Ontario barn. "We're going to continue swimming him and training him, trying to keep him off the track as much as possible.

"The vet in New Jersey is very optimistic and said 'I'm confident you guys can have him back by mid-September.'"

Thus, there is a chance Nijinsky will be back in action for the late season stakes at The Red Mile such as the Allerage Farm Open Pace, but that's not a firm target as much as a possibility. The main goal would be to have Nijinsky back in time for the Breeders Crown.

"We're hoping to qualify around mid-September," added Beaton. "We have to see how he is on the track first and obviously we're going to do what's right by this horse because he doesn't owe anybody anything."

(Standardbred Canada)