After watching Lather Up’s first loss of the season in the Max Hempt Memorial Saturday, George Teague Jr. is hopeful his team can get the three-year-old male pacer back to the form that saw him begin the year with seven consecutive wins, including the North America Cup.
Lather Up, the 1-9 favourite in the $500,000 Hempt, went off stride on the final turn as he tried to pass leader Dorsoduro Hanover following a first-over march from fourth place. It was the first time Lather Up ever made a break in a race. Springsteen flew home to win the Hempt.
Teague, who leads a training stable that includes Lather Up’s conditioner Clyde Francis, said the colt scoped sick following the Hempt and also presented driver Montrell Teague with steering issues because of a mouth sore. Teague also was testing to see if Lather Up suffered from muscle cramping.
“It was a combination of things, a perfect storm to have a bad night,” Teague said Monday morning. “He got a little bit of an ulcer in his mouth on the right line again. That’s a little bit of an issue, but I don’t think it’s permanent. I think he’ll be fine. We have a little bit of time now to work on him and get him cleared up [from being sick].”
Teague was uncertain when Lather Up would make his next start, but ruled out the upcoming Meadowlands Pace, which would have required a supplemental payment to make the horse eligible to start because he had not been staked to the event.
“Physically, he’s fine,” Teague said, adding with a laugh, “It was small things; small things that can add up to [losing] a lot of money. That’s horse racing. I can’t change what happened. We’ll just try to fix it and get him back on course. On to the next one.”
Lather Up, a son of I’m Gorgeous out of Pocket Comb, has won 11 of 15 career races and earned $544,765 for owners Gary and Barbara Iles, who also bred the colt. He was ranked No. 2 behind trotter Hannelore Hanover in last week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll; this week’s poll will be released Tuesday.
(With files from the USTA)