Saratoga notes: Shackleford on target for Forego

Tom Keyser

Shackleford tired on a sloppy track in the Vanderbilt.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Dale Romans was still accepting congratulations for Dullahan's victory the previous evening in Del Mar's Pacific Classic when he sent out another of his stable stars, Shackleford, to work a half mile in 50.80 seconds over the main track shortly after 9 a.m. on Monday. Shackleford did appear to labor some through the final furlong and while galloping out into the turn.

Romans was satisfied with the work and said Shackleford, who tired badly over a sloppy track as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt earlier in the meet, would return on Saturday in the Grade 1 Forego.

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"I wanted him to go a little slow, that's all," said Romans. "You have to trick him and make him think he's galloping or he'll go too fast. I wanted to go in 50, He went a couple of ticks slower than I wanted, but there's not a lot of medium with him. He's either fast or slow."

Repole 'buys' canoe; NYRA buys two

The New York Racing Association will purchase two new canoes to put in the infield to lake to honor the co-winners, Alpha and Golden Ticket, of Saturday's $1 million Travers.

There will be a canoe that will have the royal blue silks of Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing silks, representing Alpha. There will be a second canoe painted in the green, blue, and orange silks belonging to the Magic City Thoroughbred Partners of Carter Stewart and Ken Schlenker, owners of Golden Ticket.

The canoes will be put into the infield lake during a ceremony Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

NYRA had to buy two canoes because Mike Repole, owner of last year's Travers winner, Stay Thirsty, has taken possession of the canoe that had his blue and orange colors painted on it.

NYRA and Repole combined to come up with an idea that rather than have Repole buy the canoe from NYRA, he would donate money to a pair of charities of his choosing.
On Monday Repole said he would make "generous donations" to Old Friends Cabin Creek in Saratoga Springs, where two of his retired horses reside, and Anna House, a childcare facility on the backstretch of Belmont Park.

Repole said he would keep the canoe in the back yard of his Long Island home.

- additional reporting by David Grening