Bradester heading to Woodward

Bradester, who continued his love affair with Monmouth Park by winning the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup for the second straight year on July 31, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward on Sept. 3, trainer Eddie Kenneally said Saturday.

Bradester won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 18 and was considered a possibility for Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney here. But given his propensity for Monmouth Park – he has four wins and three seconds from seven starts – made the Monmouth Cup a logical prep for the Woodward.

“We’ll go in the Woodward if everything goes good,” Kenneally said Saturday morning. “He’s having a good year. He’s a fresh horse. He’s only run three times this year.”

Two days after the Woodward, Kenneally will run Bitumen, the winner of the Sanford Stakes on July 23, in the Grade 1 Hopeful. On Friday, Bitumen worked an easy half-mile in 50.45 seconds.

“Very happy with him,” Kenneally said. “Just a maintenance work.”