With the start of stakes season on the horizon and a number of curveballs thrown at the connections of Warrawee Vital, the four-year-old stallion will return to the racetrack this Saturday (April 24) at The Meadowlands. The location for that qualifier has prompted a change in stud duty.
According to co-owner Blair Corbeil, the connections behind Warrawee Vital made the difficult decision to curtail the pacer's previously planned stallion duties. The timing for qualifying is on target and in line with what was envisioned at the start of the season, but the location for that qualifier is not.
"Everything kind of changed when they cancelled the Confederation Cup and added that extra Graduate stake before they raced at Mohawk," Corbeil told Trot Insider. "We were planning on making that his first Graduate start, but we can't afford to miss two of them. It drastically changed our plans for him.
"Breeding season hasn't really gotten into full swing yet so we had to apologize to people and let them know that we felt it was more important for him to have a good four-year-old year and put some money on his card than it was to sit at home and watch them race. And with Ontario shutting down there no guarantee the Graduate will happen on the fifth of June."
Corbeil indicated that those individuals with mares previously booked and not yet bred to Warrawee Vital have been informed that he'll be unable to breed for the remainder of the breeding season, and have made arrangements to provide a discount for those breedings in 2022.
"We feel bad about the situation but as always we have to do what's best for the horse, and right now that's making sure he has a good four-year-old season."
The four-year-old season starts on Saturday with Warrawee Vital entered to qualify in New Jersey for trainer Ron Coyne, Jr. He's set to compete in the morning's 16th and final qualifier against a group of possible Graduate foes, including four-year-olds Fortify, Elver Hanover, Same Me A Dance, Reagan Blue Chip and Mayhem Hanover.
"He's been ready to qualify for a bit so he's in good shape to start racing earlier than we had planned."