Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Forte and Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Grade 1 Blue Grass-winner Tapit Trice worked in company over the main track Thursday in preparation for the 10-furlong Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on August 26, at Saratoga Race Course.
Forte, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, worked without blinkers to the outside of Tapit Trice, who was guided through the half-mile breeze by exercise rider Fernando Rivera. The workmates stopped the clock in 48.33.
“I thought both horses worked extremely well – both were moving really well and good gallop outs,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. “They came back and cooled out quickly. We got what we were hoping for.”
It was the first breeze back for both horses after Forte's thrilling nose score in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 29 at the Spa and Tapit Trice's fifth-place effort in the Grade 1 Haskell on July 22 at Monmouth Park.
While the consistent Forte has won 7-of-9 starts, including four Grade 1 scores, Tapit Trice has endured difficult trips in his last three outings when seventh in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs and a closing third on June 10 in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.
Pletcher said he would like to see Tapit Trice be more involved early in his races.
“He reacts well to the doors opening, but he just doesn't get away from the gate real quickly and I think that's compromised his chances in a couple of races,” Pletcher said.
With Luis Saez committed to ride Kentucky Derby-winner Mage in the Travers, Pletcher said it is likely either Jose Ortiz or Flavien Prat would pick up the mount aboard Tapit Trice.
Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Michael House's reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest worked a half-mile in 49.44 in company with sophomore maiden filly Sister Maha.
“I thought she was impressive. I had her coming home in 23 and a couple and just galloped out really strongly,” said Pletcher of the work from the three-time Grade 1 winner.
Nest completed her sophomore season with a fourth-place finish to her victorious stablemate Malathaat in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Keeneland and made a triumphant return from an eight-month layoff to best multiple Grade 1-winner Clairiere in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Shuvee on July 23 at the Spa.
“She seems to thrive on racing,” Pletcher said. “I was little concerned running her a mile and an eighth off the layoff from the Breeders' Cup and it seems like the race moved her forward.”
The $350,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase finished a game second to stablemate Mo Donegal in last year's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and exited that effort to win a pair of Grade 1s at the Spa in the CCA Oaks and Alabama.
“Everything does seem to come easily to her and I'm amazed the way she maintains her fitness and comes out of her races,” Pletcher said. “We noticed it last year in the Belmont. It was a concern running a filly against colts at a mile and a half and is there some risk it could knock her out a little bit, but it did just the opposite. It moved her forward.”
Nest is targeting the nine-furlong Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign on August 25 at Saratoga Race Course.
Pletcher will be represented by a pair of multiple graded stakes-winners here Saturday with Emmanuel and Annapolis lining up in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap going one mile over the Spa's inner turf.
The Fourstardave is a “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November at Santa Anita Park.
With racing off the turf Thursday at Saratoga and more rain in the forecast, Pletcher said he is hopeful the sun will come out on Saturday.
“We would prefer firm ground for both. We'll monitor the situation and see on race day. It seems like we're due to miss some forecasted rain for a change,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher will also be represented in Saturday stakes action by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and St. Elias Stable's debut maiden winner Haul in the Grade 2, $200,000 Herb Moelis Memorial Saratoga Special, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles.
The Army Mule bay earned a 68 Beyer Speed Figure for his three-length score sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs on July 9 at Belmont Park. He has breezed back three times, including a half-mile effort Saturday in 48.13 over the main track.
“He's been a perfect citizen since he walked in,” Pletcher said. “He never missed a beat and trained very professionally for his debut. I thought he ran like a seasoned horse and he's trained well since.”
Ortiz, Jr. retains the mount from post 4.
Pletcher said Harrel Ventures and Starlight Racing's maiden winner Pirate, who earned a 77 Beyer for his debut win here on July 15, will train up to the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful on September 4 at the Spa.
“I don't know that he needed more time, but I felt with the Grade 1 status of the Hopeful that we'd be taking our best shot at it by not running in between the maiden race and there,” Pletcher said.
Pirate made every pole a winning one on debut sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs at the Spa, outdueling Arteta to mark the opening quarter-mile in 22.26 seconds and drawing away to score in a final time of 1:04.89 with a three-length advantage to runner-up Just Steel, who exited that effort to earn an 88 Beyer in a nose score sprinting six furlongs here.
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