TDN APBs: Top Billing

‘TDN Rising Star’ Top Billing (Curlin) was put back in training Sept. 1 after spending six months at WinStar Farm recovering from a cracked cannon bone in his right front leg. The injury was discovered Mar. 8 as he was walking back to barn following a routine half-mile workout at Payson Park in preparation of the GI Florida Derby. He was operated on by 
Dr. Larry Bramlage just days later. 

“He is at Fair Hill and is back in training,” Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey said. “He is jogging a mile and galloping a mile.” 

McGaughey added, “It will be a while before he breezes. It will be at least another 60 days.” 

Tabbed as a “Rising Star” after an impressive debut win at Laurel Dec. 6, the chestnut just missed to GI Belmont S. runner-up Commissioner (A.P. Indy) in a 1 1/8-mile Gulfstream optional claimer Jan. 3. Returning to the winner’s circle in impressive last-to-first fashion next out there in a Jan. 25 optional claimer, Top Billing was last seen coming from out of the clouds to be a late closing third over a very speed favoring surface in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Feb. 22. 

McGaughey hopes that the Hallandale oval will also be the site of the sophomore’s highly anticipated return sometime next year. 

“That would be a nice scenario, but we will just have to wait and see,” the conditioner concluded. 

-Christie DeBernardis