The talented Moreno, who won the 2014 Whitney Stakes (gr. I), is back in training after being retired earlier this year and has the $1,250,000 Charles Town Classic (gr. II) on April 23rd as a major goal for his comeback.
Moreno won the 2015 Charles Town Classic in track-record time, but defeats in his next three starts–including an eighth-place finish while seeking a defense of his Whitney title–led to his retirement. The son of Ghostzapper had been dealing with minor issues, but thrived with time off and was brought back to the track by trainer Eric Guillot. Since his return to training, Moreno has posted three workouts, most recently breezing five furlongs in :59 1/5 on January 2nd at Los Alamitos.
According to the Santa Anita Stable Notes for January 7th, Guillot is hopeful that Moreno will be able to run in the Charles Town Classic, but is willing to pull the plug on the comeback if Moreno shows any signs of wear and tear. “He’s had his issues,” Guillot was quoted as saying. “As soon as he might show he’s off a little bit, I’ll put him back in the van and retire him on the farm with no damage done.”
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