Charge It works half-mile for Travers
Charge It, the 23-length winner of the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park on July 2, picked up his preparations for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 27 by working a half-mile in 50.12 seconds Saturday morning. Charge It went his opening quarter in 26.03 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.06 and six furlongs in 1:16.06.
“Thought he was moving well, I had him galloping out in 1:15-and-4, and [seven furlongs] in 1:31 pretty effortlessly, so I think he’s maintained his fitness level well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We got three more breezes to go, but I’m happy where we are.”
Pletcher also worked three horses over the Oklahoma turf course for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby.
Annapolis, winner of the Manila Stakes, went five furlongs in company with Pennine Ridge winner Emmanuel in 1:00.47. Grand Sonata, running in the Saratoga Derby, went five furlongs in 1:00.52 in company with Relate, a recent acquisition at auction whose next race is undetermined.
Also working on the turf Saturday for Pletcher, was Wit, who went a half-mile in 50.20 seconds in company with Scotish Star.
Wit, a graded stakes winner on dirt, has worked extremely well on turf the last two weeks to earn a shot at running in the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame next Friday.