Saratoga: Paynter gallops over Oklahoma track

Paynter, the Haskell winner, arrived in Saratoga on Wednesday afternoon and went to the Oklahoma training track Thursday morning, where he galloped 1 1/4 miles under exercise rider Simon Harris.

Following the Haskell, Paynter missed about two weeks of training and spent several days in a New Jersey equine clinic due to an illness. His connections are hoping to get him fit enough for a fall campaign that could start in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing on Sept. 22. Other possible races are the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont on Sept. 29 or perhaps the $250,000 Awesome Again, formerly the Goodwood, at Santa Anita, also on Sept. 29.

Jimmy Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert, saw Paynter on Wednesday for the first time since the Haskell and noted that “he’s a little light, which is to be expected. He lost a little bit of fitness and that’s to be expected.”

Paynter is expected to train here through the weekend and then be flown back to Southern California with Baffert’s stakes runners from this weekend.

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