The comeback tour for Concert Tour will begin at the same venue as his Triple Crown tour gained some big-time momentum.
It was 10 months ago that Concert Tour drew rave reviews when he tried two turns for the first time and responded with an impressive 4 1/4-length victory in the March 13 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park.
Fast forward to Jan. 15 and Concert Tour will be making another stop at the Hot Springs, Ark., track, trying to get his career back on a winning track.
This time, as a 4-year-old, Gary and Mary West's homebred son of Street Sense will run in the ungraded $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for his first start in eight months and his initial try for new trainer Brad Cox.
"Saturday is his introduction back to racing as an older horse and he's been straight-forward. He came to me in good shape from Ocala in October," Cox said about Saturday's two-turn mile test. "He's a good mover and has been training lights-out. I can't ask for him to train any better in the mornings. He's a sharp, beautiful horse."
Before the son of the Tapit mare Purse Strings arrived at his barn, Cox was familiar with Concert Tour, but from a different perspective.
Concert Tour was previously trained by Bob Baffert and though he was undefeated in two starts, including a win in the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park, he was the second-choice in the Rebel behind the Cox-trained Caddo River.
Caddo River finished a disappointing fifth in the Rebel when Concert Tour outran him for the lead, but when the two speedy rivals met on the same track in the Arkansas Derby (G1), the script changed. In that $1 million race, Caddo River set the pace, with 3-10 favorite Concert Tour pressing from second. All of which set the stage for 12-1 shot Super Stock to sweep past both of them and prevail by 2 1/2 lengths as Caddo River settled for second and Concert Tour wound up third.
"There's some history there with us," Cox said.
The loss in the Arkansas Derby convinced Baffert to skip the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and point for the Preakness Stakes (G1). Held at Pimlico Race Course amidst the turmoil of a post-race positive drug test for Baffert's Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, Concert Tour showed little in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. He was a sluggish fifth in the early stages and faded to ninth, 34 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Rombauer .
As it turned out, Concert Tour came away with bone chips in his ankle and required surgery that abruptly ended his 3-year-old season.
"We had Dr. Larry Bramlage do the surgery and gave him plenty of time off," said Ben Glass, racing manager for the Wests. "When we brought him back to training, we gave him plenty of time before sending him to Brad. It all takes time, so hopefully he's back to where he was before."
As for the switch to Cox, Glass said it had more to do with the Tex Sutton situation than any problems or suspensions Baffert may be facing.
"These days in California, you're stuck on an island. With the advent of no planes now (due to the loss of the Tex Sutton flights), it's not as easy to move horses around as it used to be," said Glass, who pointed out the Wests still have some horses with Baffert. "You can either van them or send them by air cargo and by air cargo the horses might be stuck on a tarmac for six hours. So, we thought the best of both worlds would be to be in the Midwest. We thought of Brad because he's in Kentucky and it's a 12-hour ship to New York. He's in (Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots), Oaklawn. It's a much better situation to be in the Midwest than California, where you're stuck running against some pretty good horses with nowhere else to go."
Concert Tour is also another testament to the Wests' successful breeding program that has produced the champion Maximum Security and Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good .
He's the second foal from Purse Strings and initial stakes winner from a mare who also has a 2-year-old Lookin At Lucky colt and a yearling American Freedom filly.
Concert Tour stands as the 5-2 morning-line favorite as he shakes off the rust in the Fifth Season, though he will receive a stiff challenge from rivals that include $1.85 million earner Snapper Sinclair (6-1), grade 2 winner Silver Prospector (10-1), grade 3-placed stakes winner Necker Island (9-2), and the grade 1-placed, stakes-winning sprinter Mucho (7-2). Depending on whether or not Concert Tour's comeback show turns out to be a hit, plans for his next stop are up in the air. Yet judging by his performances in the past, the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) seems an inviting target in late summer.
"It's a short-stretch mile, but it's his first race back and we're looking for a good effort. He has some speed but it's (jockey Joel Rosario)'s job to determine where he's comfortable and where he wants to be in the race," Cox said. "He could win nicely and after that I think you work backwards from the Met Mile."
With the undefeated Flightline also circling the Met Mile on his calendar, it's just a reminder of the fun awaiting fans once winter is put to bed and spring arrives—and at least one star from the past gets back on the stage and begins his revival tour.
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, January 15, 2022, Race 8Entries: Fifth Season S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Thomas Shelby (KY) David Cohen 122 Robertino Diodoro 5/1 2 2Rated R Superstar (KY) David Cabrera 122 Federico Villafranco 8/1 3 3Snapper Sinclair (KY) Ramon A. Vazquez 122 Steven M. Asmussen 6/1 4 4Necker Island (KY) Francisco Arrieta 122 Chris A. Hartman 9/2 5 5Concert Tour (KY) Joel Rosario 122 Brad H. Cox 5/2 6 6Atoka (KY) Luis Contreras 122 D. Wayne Lukas 15/1 7 7Long Range Toddy (KY) Jon Kenton Court 115 Dallas Stewart 10/1 8 8Silver Prospector (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 115 Steven M. Asmussen 10/1 9 9Mucho (KY) Florent Geroux 122 John Alexander Ortiz 7/2
