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Gorder Rapidly Gains Attention in First Oaklawn Season Hot Springs, AR - February 28, 2011 - It is hard to imagine people connected with the huge success of WinStar Farm over the last half-decade could still be underexposed, but a key component of the organization that won two of last year's Triple Crown races, trainer Kellyn Gorder, has sneaked up on fans at Oaklawn Park this season with his eyes on bigger prizes to come. Gorder, 43, was the man charged with the breaking and early training of WinStar's young horses for six years, meaning he was there to give the likes of Any Given Saturday on through 2010 Kentucky Derby (G1) champ Super Saver their first introduction to horseracing. Although he has run his own stable for the last two years, he continues to be train a few horses for WinStar and he also helped clients Tammie and Kevin Hulse pick out Glint from the WinStar dispersal sale last Nov. The undefeated 3-year-old colt is heading toward Saturday's $60,000 Mountain Valley Stakes at six furlongs. "We didn't have him ready for the Southwest and I haven't stretched him out yet, but I think he is a horse that can go two turns," said Gorder Sunday morning as he monitored his operation in Lexington, Ky. "Ideally I guess I'd like to get him around two turns, but I don't think a sprint is going to hold him back. Hopefully it's a stepping stone to the rest of the series." The series is the group of races including the $300,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) March 19 and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) - where Super Saver finished second last year - on April 16. Glint, a son of Sharp Humor, broke his maiden by 9 1/4 lengths last Sept. at Hoosier Park and then rolled through the Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile at Presque Isle Downs over a synthetic track before being laid up to have an ankle chip removed. "I think he's better on dirt and we hoped to have him on the series sooner, but he was going through a growth spurt when we first got to Hot Springs and then we lost so much time in training because of the weather," said Gorder. Glint worked Sunday morning at Oaklawn, going a half-mile in :50. This is the second stint at Oaklawn, but the first with his own string. Gorder was an assistant and exercise rider for Jack Van Berg in the early 1990s. He said he always wanted to return, and after two winters where he focused on growing his operation at Keeneland and the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, 2011 was the year he hit the road. "I had a really good time when I was there," he said. "I loved the climate and the other stuff about the place and when I started to improve my stock, Oaklawn was going to be a place we went to." That isn't to say Gorder is a novice on the road. He grew up "horse crazy" in his native Minnesota and started galloping horses at a young age for his neighbors Dale and Donna Peters, eventually becoming a jockey while in high school at tracks like Port Jefferson and Atokad in South Dakota. When he grew too big to ride, he quickly switched to training, but made sure to get a degree in animal science at the University of Wisconsin's River Falls program. He went on to gallop and work at Canterbury Downs when it opened, but eventually drifted off the track to the farm, working for Harris Farms and the late Marshall Naify's 505 Farms where he gained a strong reputation for developing young horses. Along the way he "dabbled" with his own horses, including guiding the accomplished grass horse Grammarian to a Grade 2 victory in the 2002 Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park. In addition to Glint, Gorder has two young WinStar runners preparing for action soon. A Bluegrass Cat filly named Union Address is nearing her career debut and a colt by Tiznow named Risk Drag is hopeful of finding an easier spot than his debut last summer at Saratoga. "He unfortunately ended up in the same maiden race as Uncle Mo," said Gorder of the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Eclipse Award champion. "He split the field that day, but he's a big, rangy colt who needed some time and has had four works at Oaklawn so far." And if his own charges don't emerge in time to make the major dates later this season, Gorder expects some of WinStar's established stars to take up temporary residence, particularly the undefeated Brethren, the full brother of Super Saver, who is nominated to the Rebel and Arkansas Derby. "When Bill Mott has sent the WinStar horses to Turfway, they would stay with me," said Gorder. "And when Endorsement won the Sunland Derby last year, he stayed with me at Keeneland leading up to the Derby with (trainer) Shannon Ritter. I'd like to think we can take good care of them." |
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