Donegal Racing’s Irish You Well Looking Good for 2015

Irish You Well Aiming For February Start

By: Claudia Lorena

Sidelined in September of 2014 after a small bone chip in his right front ankle was detected, Irish You Well has spent the last four months recovering. Today, the colt is looking good and his connections are thrilled with the progress he has made.

“He could have kept running with it during the fall of last year, but he had already done so much for us and we decided it would be best to have it removed.” Donegal Racing COO Conor Foley stated. “Dr. Bramalage did the surgery and he was very happy with the results.”

Following the procedure Irish—as he is known around the barn—had sixty days of rest and relaxation at Woodford Thoroughbreds (Versailles, KY), where he received wonderful care.

On January 9th, Foley said, “Irish is doing really well at the moment. Like, really well. But he will need at least five more works before he is ready to make his 2015 debut.”

Currently back training in New Orleans, under the watch of Wayne Catalano, the colt is gearing up to make his 2015 start in mid to late February. Depending on his readiness, he will likely be entered in an allowance race in New Orleans, but the the Donegal team is hoping he will be fit enough to take a shot at the Mineshaft Handicap on February 21st.

Of his nine starts in 2014, the four-year-old (by Broken Vow) ran third in the Gr.3 Illinois Derby, was third to Tonalist in the Gr.2 Peter Pan, won the Long Branch Stakes by half a length, and finished fourth to Bayern in the Gr.1 Haskell Invitational.

The chestnut has yet to capture a graded stakes title, but Foley has a positive outlook for 2015. “We are very excited about the year he might have on the track. If he makes the natural progression that he looks capable of making, then he is going to be running in the biggest races in the country during the second half of the year. Lets hope we continue to get good news out of New Orleans.”

Best of luck to the Donegal team.