King's Bishop at Saratoga next major objective for Red Legend winner J P's Gusto

Benoit & Associates

J P's Gusto may have a prep race at Saratoga before tackling the King's Bishop

ELMONT, N.Y. - J P’s Gusto, the 6 3/4-length winner of Saturday night’s $400,000 Red Legend Stakes at Charles Town, will be pointed to the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga on Aug. 27, trainer Mike Hushion said Monday. Hushion said it has yet to be determined whether J P's Gusto would make a start in between in something like the Amsterdam at the Spa on Aug. 1.

The Red Legend was the first start J P's Gusto made for Hushion and first he made at seven furlongs since he won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last September.

“Very rarely do I feel that way, but it looked like at the half-mile pole the race was over,’’ Hushion said.

J P's Gusto helped Hushion maintain an uncanny streak of success with horses sent to him by bloodstock agents John O’Hara and Steve Bajer, who work for both John Waken, owner of J.P.’s Gusto and the fillies Harissa and Nicole H; and Marc Ferrell, owner of Wind Caper, Tidal Dance, Fiddler’s Afleet, and Quality Council. Since 2009, Hushion has won 20 races with that group, including 11 stakes.

“They must have a real good eye,’’ Hushion said. “Out of a small sampling, they put a lot of stakes horses over here.’’

Cool Blue Red Hot sizzles in Dwyer drill

Cool Blue Red Hot finished second in the same race in which Raison d’Etat debuted last Oct. 30. Since then, Cool Blue Red Hot has won 2 of 5 starts, including a one-length score in a first-level allowance race here on May 19.

On Monday, Cool Blue Red Hot drilled five furlongs in 58.47 seconds, the fastest of 14 works at the distance. The next fastest move was 1:00.56 turned in by the New York-bred stakes horse Bug Juice. Angel Penna Jr., the trainer of Cool Blue Red Hot, said his colt is pointing to the Dwyer Stakes on July 2.

“Usually I kind of worry when they work too fast, but he did it absolutely on his own,’’ Penna said. “Nothing to be upset about; he did it pretty good.’’

Penna said that John Velazquez would ride Cool Blue Red Hot in the Dwyer because the colt’s regular rider, Rajiv Maragh, is committed to riding Adios Charlie, on whom he won the Grade 2 Jerome in April.

Also Monday, Penna worked the filly Prize Catch, who went five furlongs in 1:02.34 in preparation for a start in Saturday’s New York Stakes on the turf.

Sisters breeze together

Half-sisters Winter Memories and La Cloche breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 in company over Belmont’s inner turf course on Monday. Both fillies are out of the mare Memories of Silver.

Winter Memories, winner of the Sands Point last out, is not expected to run until the Lake George on July 27 while trainer Jimmy Toner is shopping for a spot for recent allowance winner La Cloche after scratching her out of stakes at Delaware Park and Colonial Downs last weekend.