Owners Gary Barber, Randy Hill, Dean Reeves and Adam Wachtel thought it might be time to have a conversation they all dreaded with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott regarding the future of Channel Maker.
Tag: Racing
Preakness Victor National Treasure Breezes At Del Mar For Travers, To Ship To New York Tuesday
Trainer Bob Baffert said Preakness (G1) winner National Treasure will ship to New York on Tuesday for next Saturday's $1.25-million Travers (G1) after breezing five furlongs in 1:00.40 Saturday morning over the main track at Del Mar.
“It went well,” said Baffert, who noted the colt breezed without blinkers and will drop the equipment for the Travers. “I was happy with him and everything went as planned. He's doing well and we're looking forward to it.”
To win the Travers, National Treasure will have to topple a field that features all three classics winners for the first time since 2017 with Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Arcangelo set to line up along with the reigning champion 2-year-old male Forte.
“That's what the Travers is supposed to be — it's a major,” Baffert said.
National Treasure, by Quality Road, provided jockey John Velazquez his first Preakness win with a game head score over Blazing Sevens on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course. The $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase was finished a sixth on June 10 in the Belmont Stakes(G1) in his most recent start.
National Treasure, to be ridden by Velazquez, is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan.
National Treasure will be joined on the journey by a pair of contenders for the seven-furlong $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) in Zedan Racing Stables' Arabian Lion [Velazquez], the last-out winner of the seven-furlong Woody Stephens (G1), and last-out Dwyer (G3) winner Fort Bragg [Joel Rosario].
Both of Jerkens contenders breezed five furlongs Friday at Del Mar with Arabian Lion working a bullet :59.20 seconds from the gate and Fort Bragg covering the distance in :59.60.
Los Alamitos Derby winner Reincarnate, who was under consideration for the Travers, was re-routed to the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) on September 23 at Parx Racing.
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Forte, Tapit Trice Don Blinkers In Final Breezes For Travers
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's two contenders for the $1.25-million Travers (G1), multiple graded stakes winners Forte and Tapit Trice, each recorded their final works on Saturday in preparation for next weekend's prestigious 1 1/4-mile test for sophomores at Saratoga Race Course.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's reigning champion 2-year-old male Forte, who did not wear blinkers for his work last week, wore blinkers once again in his latest breeze when covering a half-mile in :50.50 in company with three-time winning 4-year-old colt Bright Future. A last-out winner of the Jim Dandy (G2) at the Spa, Forte covered the same distance last week in :48.33.
“He looked super, was moving really well and got into a nice rhythm,” said Pletcher, who vies for his third Travers win. “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.”
A four-time Grade 1 winner, Forte looks to cement his place atop the sophomore division after wins in the Florida Derby (G1) and Fountain of Youth (G2) this spring at Gulfstream Park, as well as a runner-up finish to Arcangelo off 10-week's rest in the Belmont Stakes (G1) Bets. He is 2-for-3 at Saratoga, capturing last year's Hopeful (G1) and the aforementioned Jim Dandy on July 29.
Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Blue Grass (G1) winner Tapit Trice became the latest Pletcher trainee to add blinkers, sporting them for the first time in a timed work when covering a half-mile solo in :49.22 under the guidance of jockey Jose Ortiz, who picks up the mount from Luis Saez in the Travers.
Pletcher said Tapit Trice, who was last seen finishing a closing fifth in the Haskell (G1) on July 22, is often hindered by a lack of early speed.
“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.”
Pletcher added he is pleased with the addition of Jose Ortiz as Saez rides Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage in the Travers.
“We had a couple choices rider wise – we felt like Jose would be a good fit for him and we wanted to get him familiar with the horse today,” said Pletcher. “He was impressed. He thought it was perfect and said he was focused but not rank. Just the effect you would want [with blinkers].”
Tapit Trice finished a nose back of Forte in the Belmont Stakes to claim show honors after finishing seventh in the Kentucky Derby. He won the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) in March ahead of his determined neck score over Verifying in the Blue Grass.
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‘He Went Very Easy’: Mage Pleases In Final Drill For Travers
Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage worked six furlongs in 1:15.56 over the main track at Saratoga on Saturday morning in preparation for the $1.25-million Travers (G1) next Saturday at the upstate New York track.
Under partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 60s, Mage logged his maintenance move with exercise rider J. J. Delgado aboard. NYRA clockers caught the Good Magic colt in splits of :13.60, :26.40, and 50.40 before he galloped out seven furlongs in 1:29.33.
“Mage worked very well this morning. He went very easy,” said trainer Gustavo Delgado.
The breeze was a third local move for Mage, who arrived at the Spa in July. Last Saturday, he covered the six-furlong distance in a sharp 1:12.98.
Gustavo Delgado Jr., the son and assistant to the elder Delgado, said everything went according to plan.
“He did well. It was just a maintenance breeze. 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,” he said.
Following a triumph in the Kentucky Derby, Mage finished third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course, which was won by fellow Travers aspirant National Treasure. He returned to action two months later to run a hard-fought second in the Haskell Invitational (G1) on July 22 at Monmouth Park, finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind the victorious Geaux Rocket Ride.
The younger Delgado also said Mage has acclimated well to his Saratoga surroundings.
“He likes it here. It's been three weeks already that we're here and he shows us all the good signs,” he 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.”
Mage is owned by OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and CMNWLTH.
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