Godolphin's Cody's Wish (Curlin) had his final work ahead of the Aug. 5 GI Whitney S. Sunday at Saratoga, going four furlongs in :48.28 (9/69) over the Oklahoma training track. With Neil Poznansky aboard, the multiple Grade I winner clocked the first quarter-mile in :24 2/5 and 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,” trainer Bill Mott said. “Neil did a perfect job. The warm-up was good, the breeze went well, he went off easily enough. He was off in :12 and 2 or 3. 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.”
Cody's Wish will be looking for his seventh straight victory while seeking his first win beyond a mile in the nine-furlong Whitney, which is a 'Win and You're In' challenge race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. He is coming off a win in the June 10 GI Metropolitan H. and will look to be the first horse to record the Met Mile-Whitney double since fellow Godolphin colorbearer Frosted in 2016.
Another Mott trainee on a win streak, Elite Power (Curlin), who extended his string of victories to eight with a gritty victory in Saturday's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. was doing well Sunday morning, according to his trainer.
“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 he 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.”
Elite Power is expected to start next in the Aug. 26 GI Forego S.
Also exiting his victory at Saratoga Saturday in fine shape was GII Jim Dandy S. winner Forte (Violence).
“He came back very well and his energy level is good,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “He had a well-deserved nap this morning and I liked the way he looked last night after the race and this morning.”
Forte remains on target for the Aug. 26 GI Travers S. where he will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Pletcher's previous winners of the race, Flower Alley and Stay Thirsty, both of whom won the Jim Dandy before taking the Midsummer Derby.
“It's exciting and we've been fortunate that both our Travers winners came out of the Jim Dandy,” Pletcher said. “We'd love to do it again.”
Jeff Drown's Zandon (Upstart), also aiming for the Whitney, worked a half-mile in :49.24 (24/69) Sunday over the Spa's main track.
“The breeze went super and the horse is doing great. I'm looking forward to running him,” said trainer Chad Brown, who is in search of his first Whitney win.
Winner of last year's GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and third in the GI Kentucky Derby, Zandon was second in last year's Jim Dandy and third in the Travers. He comes into the Whitney off a runner-up effort behind Cody's Wish in the Met Mile.
“I was very pleased with his effort [in the Met Mile],” Brown said. “He showed a lot of heart to be second. Clearly, he was second best in the race. Cody's Wish is arguably the best dirt horse in training in this country, so a lot of respect for him. Our horse is doing fine and I think he's better around two turns. He's got a tall order here. It probably won't be a big field, but it's a very strong field with Cody's Wish and some other top horses. He's got his work cut out for him, but I really like the way the horse is going and I like him at a mile and an eighth. I think that's his best distance. I'm just hoping he runs the race of his life and is able to spring an upset.”
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