Saratoga Race Course | Horse Racing Free Tips

Lexitonian Will Try To Carry Momentum Into Forego

Calumet Farm homebred Lexitonian, a racing enigma who broke through with his biggest performance to date last month, goes after a second consecutive win for the first time in his career in Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Forego at Saratoga Race Course.

The 42nd running of the Forego, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, is one of seven graded-stakes, six of them Grade 1, worth $4.6 million in purses on a blockbuster program highlighted by the 152nd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers.

Five of the eight horses entered in the Forego are Grade 1 winners, including Firenze Fire, Mind Control, Mischevious Alex and Whitmore, the champion sprinter of 2020. Lexitonian joined the group with a half-length victory in the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt July 31, his 19th career start and first since being eased to the wire in the Grade 1 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap June 5 at Belmont Park.

“He's probably not a fan favorite horse because he's a tough horse to handicap. No one knows what to expect,” trainer Jack Sisterson said. “We've always had the confidence to put him in races like that. He does from time to time throw a clunker in. He got beat [45 ¼] lengths in the Met Mile. A lot of people probably would have dropped him down a grade to get him a confidence win and get him back on track, but he showed signs that he was still capable of winning a type of race like the Vanderbilt. We stuck him in there and he proved to everybody that he's got the capability of jumping up with a big performance.”

Sisterson approached the Vanderbilt with a different strategy, asking jockey Jose Lezcano to get the 5-year-old son of champion sprinter Speightstown involved early. Breaking from the rail, they dueled first with Strike Power and then with Special Reserve on the lead before prevailing at odds of 34-1, the longest shot in a field of nine that also included Whitmore [third], Firenze Fire [fifth] and Mischevious Alex [eighth].

“We sort of changed the tactics with him,” Sisterson said. “He'd been breezing down on the inside of horses, and he's very workmanlike. It was just by chance we drew the one hole. I suppose when you draw the one, you have to jump and go forward. Going three-quarters, you're not going to take back and make one run. I'd never be someone to tell a jockey what to do, but I just chatted to Jose about the race. I said, 'Let's be real aggressive early and see if you can put him on the lead.' Credit to Jose, it was a brilliant ride. Lexitonian really responded to that.”

Lexitonian became a graded-stakes winner in the Grade 3 Chick Lang in 2019 at Pimlico Race Course, later that summer returning to Maryland to take the Concern at Laurel Park. He won one of his next 11 starts prior to the Vanderbilt, coming up a nose short in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby last August and a head shy in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs May 21. He also ran fifth in last year's Forego, beaten 2 ½ lengths by Win Win Win.

“He'd probably been a bit unfortunate not to already have been a Grade 1 winner. Obviously I'm biased. He's had some near misses but he put it all together in the Vanderbilt,” Sisterson said. “He's shown us signs that he's going to run the same sort of race he did in the Vanderbilt. We haven't changed anything up with him. We've just kept it simple. With him, less is more. We found that out pretty quickly. We're excited about Saturday. It would be great to see him duplicate a performance like that. I think he's well capable of doing it. He couldn't be doing any better.”

Lezcano returns to ride from post position 3.

Robert LaPenta, trainer Ron Moquett and Head of Plains Partners' Whitmore rallied to be third after some early trouble in the Vanderbilt, beaten less than two lengths. According to Equibase, the 8-year-old gelding – a winner of 15 races including the 2018 Forego and nearly $4.5 million in purse earnings from 42 career starts – can become the second-oldest horse to win a Grade 1 event at Saratoga behind John's Call, who was 9 when he won the Sword Dancer in 2009.

The Vanderbilt was Whitmore's first race since running third by a head in the Churchill Downs, a nose behind Lexitonian. Winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint last fall to clinch his first year-end championship, he will have the services of Joel Rosario from post position 2.

Another multi-millionaire in the Forego is Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire, a 14-time winner with nine graded victories who earned Grade 1 credentials in the 2017 Champagne at Belmont Park. The 6-year-old Poseidon's Warrior horse has enjoyed great success downstate, including wins in the Grade 2 True North and Grade 3 Runhappy this spring, but his lone win in eight Saratoga starts came in the Grade 3 Sanford in 2017, his second career race.

Making his third straight appearance in the Forego, having run second to champion Mitole in 2019 and 11th behind Win Win Win last year, Firenze Fire will have Jose Ortiz in the irons from post position 8.

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control [post 4, John Velazquez] snapped an eight-race losing streak last out in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud July 4 at Belmont Park, his first start for newly inducted Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. His two career Grade 1 victories have come at Saratoga in the 2018 Hopeful and 2019 H. Allen Jerkens, both at the Forego distance, for previous trainer Gregg Sacco.

“He's good at the distance. He's won over the track and seems to be maintaining form,” Pletcher said. “We expect a tough race, but he's doing good.”

Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex won back-to-back Grade 3 stakes last year in the Swale at Gulfstream Park and Gotham at Aqueduct for trainer John Servis. Moved to South Florida-based Saffie Joseph, Jr. for 2021, the 4-year-old Into Mischief colt put together a three-race win streak that included the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint and Aqueduct's Grade 1 Carter. Third in the Met Mile, he regressed with an eighth-place finish in the Vanderbilt that left Joseph scratching his head.

“Last race, he didn't show up. Hopefully, we can correct it this time and he can come back and run his usual race for us,” Joseph said. “If he runs his race, he's a horse who goes in there with a good chance.”

Mischevious Alex's stablemate, Shooting Star Thoroughbreds' Chance It, has run second two starts this year, both at Gulfstream. He was beaten less than a length each time after returning from more than a year layoff, first by Double Crown in a May 23 optional claimer and then by Miles Ahead in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint July 3.

“Chance It is making his third start off a layoff and seems to be training really well. He always had a lot of potential. He'll have to step it up against these types of horses, but he's entitled to have a chance,” Joseph said. “He's come back and in his both his races, he's been just as good as before the layoff. The added distance will work to his advantage. This will be his test to see if he belongs against these types of horses. We feel like he does, so fingers crossed.”

Tyler Gaffalione has the call on Chance It from post position 6, while Irad Ortiz, Jr. rides Mischevious Alex from post position 1.

Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Yaupon won each of his first four career starts last year, two of them coming at Saratoga – an open allowance triumph over older horses and the Grade 2 Amsterdam – as well as the Chick Lang. Following a troubled eighth in both the Breeders' Cup Sprint to end 2020 and the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen to open 2021, Yaupon returned to capture Pimlico's Lite the Fuse July 4 in his most recent outing.

“[The Breeders' Cup] was too much too soon,” Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said. “He had run well at Pimlico previously and thought it was a very fast race. He came out of it in good shape. Obviously, I think he deserves the chance in the Forego. He's run very well at Saratoga, as well.”

Ricardo Santana, Jr. rides Yaupon from post position 7.

Three Diamonds Farm's Doubly Blessed [post 5, Luis Saez] is set to make his graded-stakes debut in the Forego. Fourth in the 1 3/8-mile Stud Muffin March 27 at Aqueduct, the 4-year-old Empire Maker gelding will be cutting back to a sprint for the first time in a 13-race career that began last spring on the turf. Last out, he won a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer in the Belmont Park slop May 29.

The Forego is slated as Race 8 on the 13-race card. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern. For the third consecutive year, FOX will air the Runhappy Travers as the centerpiece of a 90-minute telecast beginning at 5 p.m. The networks of FOX and FOX Sports will air 7.5 total hours of live racing and analysis on Runhappy Travers Day, with coverage scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on FS1. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Lexitonian Will Try To Carry Momentum Into Forego appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Champion Gamine Returns In ‘Win And You’re In’ Ballerina At The Spa

Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine, the Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter of 2020, will get another chance to flash her championship form over a track she dominated last summer when she heads a field of seven in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina at Saratoga Race Course.

The 43rd running of the seven-furlong Ballerina for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up is one of seven graded-stakes, six of them Grade 1, worth $4.6 million in purses on a blockbuster program highlighted by the 152nd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers. It is also a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Gamine, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, was a runaway winner of last year's Filly & Mare Sprint, two starts after a front-running seven-length romp in the Grade 1 Longines Test at Saratoga, her only previous local appearance.

“She's filled out and she looks good and she's been working well, so we wouldn't send her unless we thought she was doing really well,” Baffert said. “We're excited about it. She always runs well when she goes back East. She likes the Eastern tracks.”

Gamine, a 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, showed that not only in the seven-furlong Test but also the one-mile Longines Acorn last June at Belmont Park, her first race outside of California, which she won by 18 ¾ lengths in 1:32.55, shaving more than a second off the previous stakes record of 1:34.05.

“She's just a brilliant filly. It's fun watching her run. The owner loves watching her run. We're looking forward to it, but you still need to break well and you still need racing luck. Everything's got to go right,” Baffert said.

Gamine has won each of her three starts this year, starting with the Grade 3 Las Flores April 4 at Santa Anita, contested at six furlongs, and adding her fourth career Grade 1 triumph in the seven-furlong Derby City Distaff May 1 at Churchill Downs. She rolled by 10 lengths in the Grade 2 Great Lady M July 5 at Los Alamitos under regular rider and Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

“That's Gamine. That's her. He was trying to slow her down,” Baffert said. “When she runs, she always runs with her head cocked in the stretch. It's weird. She never does that in the mornings, and I asked Johnny why she does that. He said maybe because she's going so fast. Eventually I'd like to stretch her out. I still think I can stretch her out. I think if we could slow her down a little bit she'd stretch out. When I did stretch her out the two times there, it was the wrong time to try her long. But I think as they get older they can do it.”

Velazquez returns to ride for the eighth straight race from post position 1. Baffert previously won the Ballerina with Marley's Freedom in 2018.

“She's just brilliant, just a brilliant filly,” Baffert said. “She's fun to watch and people like watching her run. Fans love those kinds of horses, and they count on them.”

Also in from the West Coast is Bo Hirsch's 5-year-old homebred mare Ce Ce, who also shipped cross-country for her last start, the Grade 2 Princess Rooney July 3 at Gulfstream Park, beating runner-up and fellow Ballerina entrant Estilo Talentoso by 3 ¼ lengths, with Victor Espinoza up, for her third career graded-stakes victory and first at seven furlongs.

“I thought the racetrack would be to her liking down there. Victor gave her a great ride, and we got a wonderful setup,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “She came out of her race in Florida in good order and has trained forwardly. This is a race we've had on her calendar for a while.”

Ce Ce captured back-to-back Grade 1 stakes last spring in the Beholder Mile at Santa Anita and 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. She stayed at that distance and was third in the Grade 2 Santa Maria and Grade 1 Clement Hirsch before cutting back for the Derby City Distaff, where she ran fourth. Ce Ce wrapped up 2020 finishing fifth behind Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

This year, Ce Ce opened her campaign with an optional claiming win sprinting seven furlongs April 17 and was fourth after bobbling at the break in the Grade 2 Santa Maria behind As Time Goes By, who is being pointed to Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign at Saratoga.

“She's always been good. She's caught a couple of racetracks that weren't to her liking, but she's been very good this year,” McCarthy said. “She's wonderful. She is just a treat to train. She enjoys her job and is very classy around the barn. We're very lucky to have one like her. It's a big thrill.”

Hall of Famer Espinoza will climb back aboard from outermost post position 7.

Godolphin homebred Lake Avenue is chasing her second career graded-stakes victory and first in a Grade 1 after running second by a neck in each of her last two starts – the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses June 4 at Belmont Park and Grade 2 Honorable Miss July 28 at Saratoga.

Winner of the Grade 2 Demoiselle to cap her juvenile campaign in December 2019, Lake Avenue had successive wins to open 2021, taking an optional claimer February 3 at Gulfstream and the one-mile Heavenly Prize March 6 at Aqueduct.

“She had a good trip the last couple of times. She did get beat both times, but not by much,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “Hopefully, she'll put in that same type of effort again this weekend. We're going into a very tough spot, but we want to give her an opportunity in another Grade 1. None of these Grade 1 races on Saturday are easy. They're all tough.”

Junior Alvarado gets the assignment on Lake Avenue from post position 2. Mott won the Ballerina with Dream Supreme in 2000.

Medallion Racing, Barry Fowler, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Little Red Feather Racing and BlackRidge Stables' Estilo Talentoso made her graded-stakes debut in February, running second behind 47-1 long shot Hibiscus Punch in the Grade 3 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park. From there she dead-heated for second in the Grade 1 Madison and was third, beaten 2 ½ lengths by Gamine, in the Derby City Distaff before beating Lake Avenue in the Bed o' Roses prior to her Princess Rooney run. Jose Ortiz rides from post position 6.

Lloyd Madison Farms IV homebred Sconsin won the Grade 3 Winning Colors sprinting six furlongs May 22 and most recently was second as the favorite to subsequent Honorable Miss winner Bell's the One in the 6 ½-furlong Roxelana June 12, both races coming at Churchill. Trained by Greg Foley, she will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post position 5.

Completing the field are Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. and Stretch Run Ventures' Casual [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], third last out in the seven-furlong Shine Again August 4 at Saratoga for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen; and Chad Summers and J Stables' Truth Hurts [post 4, Joel Rosario], fourth in the Honorable Miss.

The Ballerina is slated as Race 7 on the 13-race card. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern. For the third consecutive year, FOX will air the Runhappy Travers as the centerpiece of a 90-minute telecast beginning at 5 p.m. The networks of FOX and FOX Sports will air 7.5 total hours of live racing and analysis on Runhappy Travers Day, with coverage scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on FS1. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Champion Gamine Returns In ‘Win And You’re In’ Ballerina At The Spa appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Jackie’s Warrior Challenged By Comebacking Life Is Good In H. Allen Jerkens Memorial

J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior will seek to solidify himself as the nation's leading sophomore sprinter when taking on a compact but highly talented field in Saturday's 37th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at seven furlongs over the Saratoga Race Course main track.

The prestigious event, formerly known as the King's Bishop, has seen five of its winners go on to earn the Eclipse Award for Champion Sprinter in their respective years, including Housebuster [1990], Squirtle Squirt [2001], Lost in the Fog [2005], Runhappy [2015] and Drefong [2016].

Jackie's Warrior, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, has shown an affinity for Saratoga having not come close to losing in three starts at the Spa. After a three-length victory in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special last August, the son of Maclean's Music won the Grade 1 Hopeful by 2 ¼ lengths en route to a 5 ½-length score in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park, where he earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He's done really well,” Asmussen said. “All three of his races at Saratoga were obviously very good. We're anxious to run him here again.”

After falling to Essential Quality – the favorite for Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Travers – in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Grade 3 Southwest, both around two turns, Jackie's Warrior regained winning form when cutting back to one turn for the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on May 1 at Churchill Downs, fending off a stretch rally from Dream Shake to win by a head.

Jackie's Warrior then saw his unbeaten record around one-turn thwarted when losing the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 5 at Belmont Park to returning rival Drain the Clock, but displayed his most dominant effort yet when splashing through a sloppy and sealed main track at Saratoga, to turn the tables on his familiar foe in the Grade 2 Amsterdam on August 1 by 7 ¼ lengths, earning a career-best 102 Beyer.

A victory would make Jackie's Warrior the third horse in the last four years to capture both the Hopeful at 2 and the H. Allen Jerkens at 3, joining Practical Joke [2018] and Mind Control [2019].

Regular rider Joel Rosario will vie for his second Allen Jerkens victory when he pilots Jackie's Warrior from post 2.

Jackie's Warrior's biggest obstacle could come from the presence of returning graded stakes winner Life Is Good, who arrives off a five-month hiatus and makes his debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The highly-regarded son of leading sire Into Mischief, owned by CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm, is unbeaten in three starts on the West Coast and has never been behind horses at any point of call, when racing for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

After a scintillating debut, winning by 9 ½ lengths in November at Del Mar, he started his 3-year-old campaign with a narrow victory in the Grade 3 Sham on January 2 at Santa Anita. He put up his best effort yet with a runaway conquest in the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 6 at Santa Anita, which he won by eight lengths, recording a 107 Beyer.

Pletcher will seek his fourth H. Allen Jerkens victory having won with More Than Ready [2000], Discreetly Mine [2010] and Capo Bastone [2013].

“It's a tall order going into a seven-furlong Grade 1 off a layoff,” Pletcher said. “The horse has trained extremely well, has been impressive in all his breezes and we like what we've been seeing from him.”

Breaking from post 6, Life is Good will be piloted by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, a four-time Allen Jerkens winner who is currently tied with fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez for most wins in the race's history.

Also from the Pletcher barn is Spendthrift Farm's Following Sea, who arrives from the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational where he was a distant third, elevated to second via disqualification.

The son of second-crop sire Runhappy, who won this race in 2015, cuts back to one turn. After defeating impressive next-out winner Happymac by 5 ¾ lengths in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Oaklawn Park, he defeated winners in his first start for Pletcher going 6 ½ furlongs on June 3 over a good main track at Belmont Park.

Velazquez will pilot Following Sea from post 4.

[Story Continues Below]

Drain the Clock handed Jackie's Warrior his lone defeat around one turn in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens, tracking just to the outside of Jackie's Warrior down the backstretch and dueled with his foe in the stretch before putting his neck in front in the final furlong. While the same tactics were used in the Grade 2 Amsterdam, it was Jackie's Warrior who came out on top when utilizing his outside position down the backstretch and drawing away from Drain the Clock.

“Obviously, last time he was well-beaten fair and square by Jackie's Warrior,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “We feel on his best day, he's just as good as others in the field. But we have a new challenge in Life Is Good. It should be quite a race, and hopefully he shows up and runs his race.”

Drain the Clock, by Maclean's Music, is owned by Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig.

Breaking from the inside post, Drain the Clock will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. who will seek his second victory in the contest.

Trainer Danny Gargan will saddle Judge N Jury as he makes his stakes debut off a sharp 8 ½-length allowance victory on July 23 at the Spa, registering a 99 Beyer while racing off a 10-month layoff.

Owned by Flying P Stable and West Paces Racing, the son of Tapiture graduated at second asking over next-out winner Work Out and subsequential stakes-winner Devious Mo on September 4 at the Spa.

Judge N Jury, bred in the Empire State by Wellspring Stables, will attempt to be the first New York-bred to capture the Allen Jerkens since Willy Beamin in 2012.

Leading rider Luis Saez will retain the mount from post 5.

Completing the field is Down Neck Stables' Newbomb, a two-time winner for trainer Kelly Breen. After finishing behind eventual stakes-winner Founder and the now multiple graded-stakes placed Nova Rags in his first two starts last season, the son of Speightstown made the third time the charm when firing off an eight-month respite to win a six-furlong maiden special weight event on June 19 at Monmouth Park. Newbomb defeated winners two starts later with an eight-length victory on August 7 at Saratoga.

Jockey Jose Ortiz will ride from post 3.

The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial honors the late Hall of Fame conditioner known as “The Chief” who conditioned prominent racehorses such as Sky Beauty, Devil His Due, and Sensitive Prince among others. Perhaps Jerkens' greatest claim to fame is a penchant for defeating all-time greats in upset fashion, earning him the nickname “Giant Killer”. In 1973, he saddled Onion to a triumph in the Whitney and Prove Out in the Woodward, defeating Secretariat both times. Other all-time greats dethroned by Jerkens trainees include Kelso, Buckpasser, Cougar II and Forego.

The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial is slated as Race 9 on the 13-race card. First post is 11:35 a.m. Eastern. For the third consecutive year, FOX will air the Runhappy Travers as the centerpiece of a 90-minute telecast beginning at 5 p.m. The networks of FOX and FOX Sports will air 7.5 total hours of live racing and analysis on Runhappy Travers Day, with coverage scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on FS1. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

The post Jackie’s Warrior Challenged By Comebacking Life Is Good In H. Allen Jerkens Memorial appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Essential Quality Morning-Line Favorite for Travers

Essential Quality (Tapit) drew post two of seven and was installed the 4-5 morning-line favorite when post positions were drawn Wednesday morning for Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. Last year's champion 2-year-old colt rebounded from his lone loss to date, a fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby, to win the June 5 GI Belmont S. and July 31 GII Jim Dandy S. Trainer Brad Cox said the Godolphin homebred has only improved since the Jim Dandy.

“He's sharp, mentally,” Cox said. “He's sharper this race than going into the Jim Dandy. My plan all along was to have him peak in this spot. Our goal since the Kentucky Derby was to have him at his best Travers Day and from a mental and physical standpoint, I feel he's right where we want him.

“I feel like he's as good as he's ever been,” Cox continued. “I feel like if we run our race, we'll be tough. There are six other good colts in there and we still have to play our game. If we do, I think we'll be a big factor.”

Keepmeinmind (Laoban), who came up a half-length short of Essential Quality when second in the Jim Dandy, breaks just to that colt's outside in post three and is 6-1 on the morning line. Trainer Robertino Diodoro has seen marked improvement in the colt, who is winless since taking last year's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S.

“I've emphasized this quite a bit,” Diodoro said at Wednesday's draw. “Even back in January, he's a horse that we thought would get better with time; grow into himself and be a good late 3-year-old and hopefully early 4-year-old year. He's showing signs of that. His last couple of races have been improvements and his works up here have been outstanding.”

Seventh in the GI Kentucky Derby and fourth in the GI Preakness S., Keepmeinmind was third behind Travers contender Masqueparade (Upstart) in the June 26 GIII Ohio Derby. Following that effort, Diodoro tinkered with the sophomore's training schedule.

“We just started easing off his training going into the races,” Diodoro said. “Each horse is different, and this horse is one that just puts so much into his training. On days that he's down to gallop, he goes out there and gives you 110%. He just loves his job. We eased off him going into the Jim Dandy and he was a lot sharper that day. His running was a lot sharper and he laid a lot closer.”

King Fury (Curlin), second in the Ohio Derby, moves back to the main track after a 10th-place effort in his turf debut in the Aug. 7 GI Saratoga Derby Invitational.

“In hindsight, we should have scratched [in the Saratoga Derby] because he drew the 11 [post] and he hanged wide and wider on both turns,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “I wish I could un-ring that bell, but that doesn't happen. It's a shame he didn't get to run in the Jim Dandy, but it is what it is. We think he'll perform well this weekend.”

King Fury, who drew post seven and is 15-1 on the morning line, was forced to skip the GI Kentucky Derby with a fever, but he should relish the Travers' 1 1/4-mile distance, according to McPeek.

“He's doing great,” McPeek said. “This horse is really, really a nice horse. He's been easy to be around. He's begging for a mile and a quarter. He was unlucky in the spring again because he had a fever on the day before the Derby, and we really felt like that was going to be a big day but, once again, he didn't get the opportunity. Saturday is a really big deal to make amends.”

Of King Fury's double-digit morning-line odds, McPeek added, “The odds surprised me because we ran right with Robertino's horse and Al [Stall]'s horse in the Ohio Derby [Keepmeinmind and Masqueparade]. We split those two and we really thought we could make a case that he should have won that day. He got shuffled back in the second turn and had to rally and still almost won the race. He's a good colt and he's going to make his presence felt.

“I'm not a gambler,” he continued. “The price is the price. When Golden Ticket won [the Travers], nobody paid any attention. When Sarava won [the Belmont], nobody was paying any attention. Maybe that's better. No pressure.”

The post Essential Quality Morning-Line Favorite for Travers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post