Arcangelo turns in final workout for Travers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Arcangelo on Wednesday had his fifth and final workout in between his Belmont Stakes victory on June 10 and the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 26, breezing five furlongs in 1:01.56 over Saratoga’s main track.

With jockey Javier Castellano aboard, Arcangelo, going shortly after 7 a.m., went in fractions of 12.64 seconds, 24.96, 36.79, and covered his last quarter in 24.77. Unlike the last two weeks, when Arcangelo galloped out a solid mile, he went six furlongs in 1:15.39, per Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch, and out seven furlongs in 1:30.96.

“Our last work was the big serious work,” said trainer Jena Antonucci, referring to a five-furlong move on Aug. 6 that was timed in 1:00.31 with gallop-outs of 1:13.25 for six furlongs and 1:26.18 for seven furlongs. “This work was to make sure we can keep his feet on the ground for the next several days. A nice, cruising work was what we were looking for.

“I know when he pulled up he thought we were kidding,” Antonucci said. “Where’s the rest of my breeze?”

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While Castellano was leaning toward riding Arcangelo in the Travers, he also had the option to ride Mage, on whom he won the Kentucky Derby and finished second in the Haskell and third in the Preakness. On Aug. 8, the connections of Mage wanted an answer from Castellano and before he got back to them, they announced they were going to ride Luis Saez.

Castellano seems happy with how Arcangelo is going into the Travers.

“He’s a happy horse, he did it the right way, so relaxed,” Castellano said.

◗ Echo Zulu, winner of the Grade 2 Honorable Miss, worked five furlongs in 1:02.85 on Wednesday morning over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for a start in the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 26.

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