Lion of Persia

Cowell describes Lion of Persia as "scopey and stocky," the kind of physical package that catches the eye on a stable tour, and the horse has been working impressively enough on the gallops. The real issue, though, is the starting gate. The colt has had bad luck there — he banged his leg in the stalls at one point and has since had time off to recover — but more fundamentally, Cowell identifies a lack of speed out of the gates as a problem that needs fixing. That tardiness at the break could easily account for a horse who shows promise on the ground but keeps finding himself playing catch-up in races. It is a fixable thing, especially for a young horse still learning his trade.

What matters now is getting him back on track properly. Cowell expects Lion of Persia to return to racing within the next couple of weeks, and the trainer believes he will stay at six furlongs. Given the yard's form this season — 24 winners already — there is decent reason to think the horse might yet show up as something useful, provided the gates become less of a battlefield.