2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Shanghai Bobby had his first workout at historic Saratoga Race Course since being sidelined last spring with an injury.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Shanghai Bobby had a three-furlong work at Saratoga as he starts his comeback since being diagnosed with a slight pelvic stress fracture. His last start was in the Florida Derby on March 30 when he finished fifth. Most people had him pegged as the favorite for the 2013 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

“It was his first work back, and it went very well,” Pletcher said. “It was just an easy three-eighths. It was nice to get him back on the work tab. He went just nice and easy by himself, just getting him back into a routine. He did exactly what we were hoping he would do, and seemed to handle it well.”

The 3-year-old colt, owned by Starlight Partners, covered the distance in 38.95 seconds.
“Now, we’ll kind of start to pick it up gradually as we go along,” Pletcher said. “Basically, he’ll be on a weekly work schedule from here, but I don’t see him making a race here at Saratoga.”

Shanghai Bobby won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park last November to secure the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old of 2012. He was undefeated in five starts last year, but winless in two starts in 2013 with a second to Itsmyluckyday in the Holy Bull Stakes.

Shanghai Bobby is a dark bay or brown colt bred in Kentucky by Stonehaven Steadings. In September he was sent to the Keeneland sales where he was bought for $105,000 by a representative of Starlight Racing. Jack Wold and Donnie Lucarelli, the owners of Starlight Racing, named the horse after their friend Bob Burton, an airline pilot who often flew to Shanghai. He is trained by the five-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher and has been ridden in all of his races to date by Rosie Napravnik.

It will be great to see this 2 year old champion back in action, Horse racing loves great horses and fans love to see Rosie ride them.