Klaravich Stables' Risk Taking, who earned a career-best 89 Beyer winning the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers last out at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., had his first breeze back on Sunday morning.
The Medaglia d'Oro bay went a half-mile in 50.06 on the Belmont dirt training track working in company with 4-year-old Mystic Night, a $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase who earned an 80 Beyer in his third-out graduation on January 30 at the Big A.
“Risk Taking had his first work back since his win in the Withers and it went very well,” said Dan Stupp, the New York-based assistant to trainer Chad Brown. “I was pleased with the work. He came out of the race in great shape and his energy and appetite have been good.”
Risk Taking, a $240,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is 2-for-2 traveling nine furlongs at Aqueduct. He graduated on December 13 at the distance ahead of his rallying Withers score which garnered 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Following the Withers, Brown said Risk Taking would likely target the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at the Big A. The nine-furlong Wood Memorial is the final local prep for the Grade 1, Kentucky Derby and awards the top-four finishers qualifying points according to a 100-40-20-10 scale.
Louis Lazzinnaro's The Grass Is Blue, a sophomore daughter of Broken Vow, impressed with a one-length win last out in the nine-furlong Busanda on January 24 at the Big A. The chestnut, who earned a 72 Beyer in victory along with 10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points, worked a half-mile in 49.21 Sunday.
“The Grass Is Blue worked a solo half and worked very easy,” said Stupp. “It was a very nice maintenance work and I'm happy with her work.”
The Grass Is Blue captured an optional-claiming sprint at Keeneland in October sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Songbird in November at the same distance at the Lexington oval. She entered the Busanda from a closing third in the 1 1/16-mile Anne Arundel County in December at Laurel Park.
“She appreciated the stretch out in the Busanda,” said Stupp. “Earlier on, we thought she wanted to go short but watching her races Chad decided to see if she would be better stretching out and she certainly showed that in her last race. She certainly handled the mile and an eighth. She's trained very well out of that win and seems to have improved a lot for us here over the winter.”
The post With Wood Memorial On Calendar, Risk Taking Posts First Drill Since Withers Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
