Tag: J.J. Delgado

Travers Candidates Breeze On Both Coasts

No fewer than four of the seven 3-year-olds expected for Saturday's GI Travers S. got their final tune-ups Saturday morning, three over the Saratoga main track and one at Del Mar.

Mage (Good Magic), the GI Kentucky Derby hero who figures no worse than the second betting choice behind Forte (Violence) in the 10-furlong feature, breezed three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.56 for trainer Gustavo Delgago. In what was described as a maintenance move beneath exercise rider J.J. Delgado, the son of former 'TDN Rising Star' Puca (Big Brown) went in splits of :13.60, :26.40 and :50.40 before galloping out seven panels in 1:29.33.

“He did well. It was just a maintenance breeze,” said Gustavo Delgado, Jr., assistant to his father. “He did exactly what my Dad told J.J. to do. He wanted 1:15 or 1:16 for six furlongs and that's exactly what he did.”

It was the third work locally for Mage, who will look to step forward off a runner-up effort in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22.

“He likes it here. It's been three weeks already that we're here and he shows us all the good signs,” Delgado, Jr. said. “It helps him to be at the track with time. In the Preakness, we arrived Wednesday and ran Saturday and for the Haskell it was the same thing, we got there earlier in the week and ran that Saturday. But here, he's been able to adapt.”

 

 

 

Forte, who did not wear blinkers in his four-furlong workout that was timed in :48.33 last Saturday, was refitted with the equipment Saturday morning and covered a similar distance in :50.50 in the company of his year-older stablemate Bright Future (Curlin).

“He looked super, was moving really well and got into a nice rhythm,” said Pletcher of the recent GII Jim Dandy S. winner. “Sometimes if you put them [blinkers] on all the time, you lose a little effect. We were just looking to keep him as good as he is going into this. We got a good, steady work and a good strong gallop out. He was well within himself throughout and I think he's moving terrific. He seems really happy, so we're trying to just keep him happy.”

Stable companion 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit) was wearing blinkers for the first time Saturday morning when going a half-mile on his own in :49.22. Jose Ortiz, who replaces Luis Saez aboard the gray colt, was in the irons. Saez picks up the ride on Mage, while Javier Castellano sticks with GI Belmont S. hero Arcangelo (Arrogate).

“His weakness so far has been getting out of the gate and getting into a good position,” said Pletcher. “We're hoping that will help a little with that, maybe keep him a little more focused throughout the race. We galloped him earlier in the week with blinkers and he seemed to be dialed in a little more, and it seemed like that was the case breezing this morning.”

 

 

 

National Treasure (Quality Road), who defeated Mage into third in the GI Preakness S. May 20, went five furlongs over the Del Mar main track in 1:00.40 Saturday morning.

“It went well,” said trainer Bob Baffert, who took the blinkers off the colt and will leave them off for the Travers. “I was happy with him and everything went as planned. He's doing well and we're looking forward to it.”

National Treasure, a latest sixth in the Belmont, is scheduled to depart Southern California Tuesday, weather permitting, and will be accompanied by 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify), winner of the GI Woody Stephens S., and GIII Dwyer S. hero Fort Bragg (Tapit), each an intended runner in the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. One horse that will not make the trip is Reincarnate (Good Magic), who will pass the Travers in favor of the GI Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 23.

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Mage ‘Looked Pretty Good’ on First Day Over Saratoga’s Oklahoma Track

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Four days after his second-place finish in the GI Haskell S., GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) took some small, easy steps toward the GI Travers on Aug. 26, jogging Wednesday on the Oklahoma training track.

Mage shipped from Monmouth Park in New Jersey to Saratoga on Monday and was given another day off on Tuesday. He made his first visit to the track on a cool, foggy morning under his regular exercise rider J.J. Delgado. Assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado held the colt while he was bathed, while his father, trainer Gustavo Delgado, watched.

Delagado, Jr. said that Mage has come out of his first race since the GI Preakness on May 20 in good shape.

“We like what we see, especially the eating, the travel and then here,” Delgado, Jr. said. “This morning he looked pretty good.”

Mage wanted to move around during the bath and Delgado, Jr. said he was tough to control at times.

“Tomorrow, I think he will start galloping, the way he looked today, because he needs it,” Delgado, Jr. said. “He will start off galloping here and then probably next week we'll start taking him to the main track.”

Mage's connections set the Travers as the summer goal after he finished third in the Preakness. They gave him 17 days off and embarked on a training program to prepare him for the summer starts. Delgado, Jr. said that even in defeat the Haskell was a success.

“Everything was according to plan,” he said. “Of course, we wanted to win. And we never had a doubt that he was going to be competitive enough. The thing is that previous to the race we missed at least one breeze that was on the schedule. It was raining a lot at the training center so we couldn't get one work in. But his last one, he was ready. 'Let's take him to the Haskell because he might pull it off.'”

Yet to be decided is whether Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will ride Mage in the Travers. Castellano rode Arcangelo (Arrogate) in the GI Belmont S. and that colt is headed to the Travers, too. Delgado said he and his father had dinner at Castellano's house Tuesday night, watched the Haskell several times, but did not discuss the Travers.

Delgado, Jr. said they hope that Castellano will be aboard for the marquee race of the Saratoga season, which could decide the 3-year-old male title.

“We wouldn't want to try with somebody else, that's for sure,” Delgado, Jr. said. “But at the same time he's an easy horse to ride. He's not that difficult.”

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Mage Rounds Out Training at Churchill, Departs for Pimlico

Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) posted his final training move at Churchill Downs Saturday morning prior to shipping to Baltimore for next weekend's GI Preakness S. While the task was ultimately completed safely, the move didn't quite go off without a hitch.

Rider J.J. Delgado was forced to pause his training to fix a back bandage that came loose after the first half-mile, however, the colt ultimately galloped about 1 1/2 miles.

Following the minor mishap, the Derby winner continued on his way around the racetrack before he returned to Barn 42 where trainer Gustavo Delgado prepared to ship the colt to Baltimore late Saturday afternoon.

“We always wanted to be more cautious before making the decision whether to run in the Preakness after the Derby,” co-owner/assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said Saturday. “It was fair to ask the question. We just wanted to make sure he was giving us all the right signs following the Derby and he is. The fact that he only has four starts and young horses tend to get better after they get a few starts under them, it gives us a bit of confidence.”

The van that will transport Mage to Baltimore was expected to depart around 4 p.m., according to Steve Hargrave, Churchill Downs' Senior Director of the Stable Area. The trip is more than 600 miles and usually takes 8 hours and 45 minutes.

Delgado has only started one horse in the Preakness. In 2019, Delgado ran Bodexpress in the second jewel of racing's Triple Crown where he unseated jockey John Velazquez leaving the gate.

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