Bernardini works five furlongs

Preakness winner Bernardini worked five furlongs in 1:03.48 Friday morning at Saratoga, his first breeze since he won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy by nine lengths on July 29. Bernardini is being pointed to the $1 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 26.

With exercise rider Simon Harris in the irons, Bernardini was timed in fractions of 26.29 seconds, 38.49 and he galloped out an extra furlongs in 12.92 seconds.

"He's come out of that race awesome," Harris said. "All we got to do is keep him the way he is now."

Trainer Tom Albertrani called the work "pretty smooth." Albertrani said he believes Bernardini is better now than he was going into the Jim Dandy.

"He's a lot sharper. He's a little more aggressive in a good way," he said. "He's going out there training the way you want to see a horse train. He's got plenty of life to him."