Precisionist Will Run Again, in 7-Furlong Race at Calder

Once again, reports of Precisionist’s retirement from racing have been premature.

The 7-year-old horse, who supposedly had run his last race when he finished second, a head behind Cutlass Reality, in the Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park on Dec. 10, will be running Saturday in the $75,000 Sunny Isle Handicap, a 7-furlong race at Calder Race Course in Miami.

Precisionist will be saddled Saturday by a new trainer, Bill Donovan, who is expected to wind up caring for most of the horses in owner Fred Hooper’s Florida division. Donovan was the trainer of Lost Code, one of the best handicap horses in the country in 1988. Lost Code was retired to stud with earnings of $2 million.

Donovan said that Precisionist arrived from California at his barn at Gulfstream Park last Sunday and worked three-eighths of a mile at nearby Calder Thursday in :36 1/5.

Precisionist, who is top-weighted for the Sunny Isle at 123 pounds, has never raced in Florida during a 45-race career, even though Hooper bred him there. A win Saturday would enable Precisionist to retire with earnings of more than $3.5 million. Only 6 horses rank ahead of him on the money list.

Hooper twice tried to retire Precisionist before, but the horse was a failure at stud.

Craig Perret, who has never ridden Precisionist, has the assignment Saturday.

John Russell handles Hooper’s California division and has trained Precisionist the last couple of years. Ross Fenstermaker trained Precisionist when he won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Aqueduct in 1985 and was later voted the year’s sprint champion.