Not That 'Far From' a Return

Unbeaten Far From Over (Blame–Alchemist, by A.P. Indy), sidelined with a non-displaced condylar fracture to his left hind leg while preparing for a start in the GI Wood Memorial S. this spring, is on the comeback trail.

An improbable last-to-first winner over 'TDN Rising Star' El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) after a horrific stumble at the start in Aqueduct's GIII Withers S. at second asking Feb. 7 (video), the $550,000 KEESEP yearling graduate (click here for catalogue page) is expected to rejoin trainer Todd Pletcher in early February for a spring campaign.

“He's at WinStar and has been galloping back for about a month,” said Nick Sallusto, advisor and racing manager for Steven Marshall's Black Rock Thoroughbreds LLP. “We want to try and be ready for the spring races. We thought initially about trying to get ready for the [GI] Donn [H. at Gulfstream Park], and the more we thought about it, it made more sense to just give him a little more time and get ready for a spring/summer/fall campaign.”

Far From Over, bred in Kentucky by Alexander Groves Matz LLC, was produced by a graded stakes placed daughter of GI Go For Wand H. heroine Aldiza (Storm Cat). The May 9 foal was also a game front-running winner in his two-turn debut at the Big A last December. It was announced in March that Sol Kumin's Head of Plains Partners and Jim Covello had purchased a 25% minority interest in Far From Over, who earned a 96 Beyer for his aforementioned score in the Withers. Marshall, the president of Western Energy Production company, also campaigned 2012 GI CashCall Futurity hero and current Hill 'n' Dale stallion Violence (Medaglia d'Oro).

“He's developed really well,” Sallusto concluded. “He seems to have made a full recovery from the injury. We're optimistic and excited to see if we can finish what we started.”