 Because of Riva Ridge's behavior in the Flash Stakes, Turcotte realized that Riva Ridge had a fear of close quarters caused by the difficult start in his first race.He asked trainer Lucien Laurin if Riva Ridge could take a month away from racing to work on overcoming his fear.Laurin had plans for Riva Ridge to run in other races at Saratoga, so he initially declined Turcotte's request.