If there is such a thing as perfect, trainer Bill Mott said he saw it in Godolphin's homebred Cody's Wish's final half-mile tune up for Saturday's $1-million Whitney (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. The Whitney offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in November at Santa Anita Park.
Under clear skies and temperatures in the 60s on Sunday, Cody's Wish visited the Oklahoma training track following the renovation break under Neil Poznansky and clocked the first quarter mile in :24 2/5 seconds before finishing in :48.28. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 and seven furlongs in 1:27.
“I thought it was perfect. If there is such a thing as a perfect work. Neil did a perfect job. The warm up was good, the breeze went well, he went off easily enough,” Mott said. “He was off in :12 and (2/5 or 3/5). He came home well. He let him off the bridle a little bit at the eighth pole and he finished up his last quarter very nicely. We didn't make him gallop out too much today, obviously. We're right on top of the race.”
Mott said Cody's Wish can be a difficult horse to work and credited Poznansky for his safe hands and good judgment.
“He's not easy to work because he can go too fast. You have to have someone on him that knows what they're doing,” Mott said. “He looked beautiful when he was working. He was smooth as silk. But fortunately, we have someone as talented and experienced as Neil. Even he says the horse is a little bit difficult to judge in his works how fast he's going because he does it so easily, you don't realize how fast he's going sometimes. He's not the only horse that's been that way. Usually, you'll find the occasional good horse that's hard to read how fast they're going.”
Cody's Wish will attempt his seventh straight victory when he lines up in the nine-furlong Whitney. The Kentucky-bred bay horse enters from four consecutive Grade 1 scores, taking last year's Forego at Saratoga and the two-turn Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before making his 5-year-old debut a winning one in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs on May 6. He last raced when capturing the Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 at Belmont Park.
Cody's Wish will look to be the first horse to sweep the Met Mile-Whitney double since fellow Godolphin colorbearer Frosted in 2016.
While Cody's Wish is in the midst of a winning streak, the same can be said for Juddmonte's aptly named Elite Power, who captured his eighth straight victory in Saturday's Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) going six furlongs at the Spa. The 5-year-old chestnut has done no wrong since breaking his maiden by nine lengths last June at Churchill Downs. Following two wins at allowance-optional claiming level, he captured the Vosburgh (G2) at Belmont at the Big A before sealing champion male sprinter honors with a 1 1/4-length win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.
Elite Power kicked off his year with a triumphant international endeavor in Saudi Arabia's Group 3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint at King Abdulaziz Racecourse before winning the True North (G2) on June 10 at Belmont Park en route to the Vanderbilt, where he earned a career-high 108 Beyer Speed Figure.
Things didn't come easy in the Vanderbilt for Elite Power, who contested a sloppy and sealed track for the first time. He settled in fourth down the backstretch and did not appear poised for victory at the quarter pole with Grade 1-winning millionaire Gunite three lengths in front. But Elite Power had dead aim on Gunite and collared his foe in the final strides to win by a head.
“He looked great this morning,” Mott said. “I was very impressed just because I feel that when you have a sloppy or muddy track like that, it gives the advantage to the horse three in front turning for home. If you have to make up that much ground on a sloppy or muddy track, it can be difficult, so I give the horse a lot of credit for being able to do that. The horse be beat was running and he's a very good horse, too. He's in good form. I have to be pleased and I am pleased.”
Mott indicated that the seven-furlong $500,000 Forego (G1) on August 26 at Saratoga would be Elite Power's likely next start. The last horse to sweep the Vanderbilt-Forego double was A.P. Indian in 2016.
In addition to being in winning form, both Elite Power, and Cody's Wish are sons of multiple champion-producing stallion Curlin, a two-time Horse of the Year who stands at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Paris, Ky.
“We're trying to start an advertising campaign for Curlin,” Mott quipped.
The post ‘An Advertising Campaign For Curlin’: Offspring Cody’s Wish, Elite Power Point For Spa Grade 1s appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
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