Trot Insider has spoken with trainer George Teague, Jr. in regard to Badlands Nitro, his $1.5 million earning son of Badlands Hanover, which may be returning to racing after a very brief stint standing stud
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"He's back in training as we speak," Teague said. "He's been in 2:20. He's bulked up a lot. I hope that he'll be able to come back to the same form that he was in before we retired him."
The four-year-old raced 25 times during a career which saw the bay record 15 wins, six second-place finishes and two thirds. His career mark currently stands at 1:50, taken over a five-eighths mile oval.
After a two-year-old campaign in which Badlands Nitro won six of eight starts, he came back at three and was forced to race in the shadow of the great Somebeachsomewhere. Nonetheless, Badlands Nitro compiled a record of 9-5-2 from 17 three-year-old starts and banked over $1.4 million.
"We're looking at possibly racing him in some Opens at the Meadowlands over the course of the winter," Teague said of the four-year-old, which will be entering his five-year-old campaign in a few months if all goes well.
Badlands Nitro has been standing at Winbak of New York, but Teague explained to Trot Insider that at this point the breeding shed was just not in the cards.
"He was immature in the shed," Teague said. "He also didn't show that he wanted to be there all that much."