Brody's Cause, Cherry Wine take different paths to Travers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Dale Romans said he will keep his two star 3-year-olds separated for their next starts while eyeing the Travers Stakes for both.

Romans said this week at his Churchill Downs base that Brody’s Cause likely will be pointed to the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 31 at Monmouth Park, while Cherry Wine could race the following weekend in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 6 at Mountaineer.

“The ideal thing would be for them both to run their way into the Travers,” he said.

Brody’s Cause, a two-time Grade 1 winner, finished sixth June 11 in the Belmont Stakes, while Cherry Wine, the runner-up in the Preakness last month, was seventh in the Belmont.

“They both came out of the race fine,” said Romans. “They’ll just hang around here the next few weeks, and I’ll decide whether they train for their next races here or at Saratoga.”

The Haskell and West Virginia Derby, along with the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on July 30, are the top East Coast preps for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers, the 1 1/4-mile Midsummer Derby set for Aug. 27 at Saratoga. All three preps are run at 1 1/8 miles.

Meanwhile, Romans said he is giving Go Maggie Go “a little breather” before pointing her to the Grade 1 Alabama on Aug. 20 at Saratoga.

“I squeezed a lot of races in on her,” he said, alluding to three races in a five-week span, ending with a fourth-place finish in the Acorn Stakes on Belmont Day. “Now that I’ve got some foundation in her, this little break should be fine. I’d like to get a prep in her before the Alabama, but we’ll see.”

Romans added that he intends to shorten up Birdatthewire, a Grade 1 winner who most recently was fifth May 7 in the Humana Distaff, by running her in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney, a six-furlong race on the July 2 Summit of Speed program at Gulfstream Park.

Also, O’Prado Ole goes next for Romans on July 9 in the Stars and Stripes at Arlington after easily winning a June 10 turf allowance at Churchill for the Peacock Stable, an ownership group that includes NBC sportscasters Tom Hammond, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya.

Suddenbreakingnews, ninth in the Belmont as the 5-1 second choice, also could be headed to the West Virginia Derby after getting a brief rest in the Churchill stable of trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel.

“Nothing definite, but the West Virginia race does have some interest for us,” said Von Hemel. “It’d be a good spot to show us which way to go from there.”

Suddenbreakingnews is scheduled to return to light training Monday at Churchill.

“We’ve just been letting him walk around and have a little break before we gear back up,” said Von Hemel.