Complex System’s career is losing its complexity

The 4-year-old colt Complex System has more than emulated his name – his eight-race career can be rated as somewhat complex.

Breeder Beth Bayer sold the son of Amira’s Prince for $25,000 at the 2018 OBS October sale. Six months later, high-profile Klaravich Stable purchased him for $210,000 at the OBS April sale. Racing in the Klaravich colors for his first five starts, Complex System finished second four times and third once and never went off at odds higher than 7/2 – twice he was odds-on.

The Klaravich group apparently soured on the colt and in his fifth race, when he was 5/2, he was claimed by Joe Sharp at Belmont Park for $40,000, for owner/trainer Louis Roussel III.

Roussel shipped Complex System to Fair Grounds and in his sixth start, the colt broke his maiden at odds of 50 cents to a dollar. An eventful seventh start produced his first off-the-board finish, but yesterday he made amends for that one, going wire-to-wire in a $47,000 allowance optional claimer over the Gulfstream Park grass course and winning by 2 1/4 lengths without ever being tested, getting his highest Equibase “E” rating, a 96. He paid $11, raised his record to a solid 2-4-1 and the $28,700 winner’s check lifted his earnings to $104,500.

Complex System looks like a colt who has not yet reached his potential.