Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Madaket Stables' multiple Grade 1 winner Caravel worked a half-mile solo in :48.88 Saturday over the Oklahoma training turf at Saratoga as she prepares to take on the boys in the $300,000 Troy (G3), a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older horses there August 5.
Trained by Brad Cox and piloted through her breeze by exercise rider Kelvin Perez, NYRA Clockers caught Caravel through splits of :13.60, :25.40 and out five-eighths in 1:01.20 and six-furlongs in 1:15.60.
Cox said the reigning reeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) winner impressed in her second move back since taking the six-furlong Jaipur(G1) over the boys on June 10 at Belmont Park.
“Really good. She's an outstanding workhorse,” Cox said. “It's her first move up here on the turf. She breezed last weekend at Churchill. It's just a maintenance move and she's doing great. She's pointing to the Troy right now.”
Caravel has won 15-of-23 starts and made just shy of $1 million last year, posting wins in the Intercontinental (G3) at Belmont and the Franklin (G3) at Keeneland. She is undefeated in three starts this year, taking the Shakertown (G2) in April at Keeneland ahead of a score at Churchill Downs in May in the Unbridled Sidney.
Cox said he likes to keep Caravel fresh and is spacing out her races accordingly with an eye to a title defense in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in November at Santa Anita Park.
“She ran extremely well at Keeneland off the layoff,” Cox said. “If there's something that makes sense [between the Troy and Breeders' Cup] we can try it before Santa Anita.”
Cox said Caravel is in career form.
“She's really good. Physically, she looks amazing. She's happy,” Cox said. “I don't know if we need her to get any better, she just has to continue to be as good as she's been the first half of the year. If we can duplicate that in the second half, we'll be in great shape.”
Godolphin's Kentucky homebred Wet Paint worked five-eighths in 1:00.60 Saturday over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for next Saturday's $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies.
“Really good move this morning. She went five-eighths from the half in 1:00.60 and out in 1:13.60,” Cox said. “She's not the flashiest workhorse, but this morning she was on it and she was wanting to do it. I loved what I saw from her. She's set up for a big run next week.”
Flavien Prat will pilot Wet Paint in the CCA Oaks.
Gary and Mary West's Kentucky homebred West Will Power worked a half-mile in 51.40 this morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for a possible start in the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 5.
“It was just a really easy half mile and if all is well he make the trip up this week,” Cox said.
The 6-year-old Bernardini horse has posted six consecutive triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures, including a career-best 109 in winning the New Orleans Classic (G2) in March at Fair Grounds and a 102 last out when a half-length winner of the Stephen Foster (G1) on July 1 at Churchill Downs.
Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire and Gary and Mary West's Hit Show, who dead-heated for fourth last out in the Belmont Stakes (G1), worked five-eighths in company in 1:00.90 Friday over the Oklahoma training track.
“Very good move. I'm very happy with them,” Cox said.
Both horses earned a 99 Beyer for their Belmont effort and will point to the nine-furlong $500,000 Jim Dandy(G2) on July 29 with an eye towards the 10-furlong $1.25-million Travers (G1) on August 26.
Cox said a turnback from 12-furlongs can only help.
“It shouldn't hurt,” Cox said. “I don't know if any of these horses want to run a mile and a half, but they ran big races in the Belmont and got really good figures. They've had time to recover and had some really good moves down at Churchill.”
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