Classic Empire to skip Haskell, point to Travers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Mark Casse said Sunday morning that Classic Empire will not run in the $1 million Haskell and will be pointed instead to the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 26.

Classic Empire has missed some training time while fighting both foot and back issues since finishing second, beaten a head by Cloud Computing, in the Preakness. He arrived at Saratoga from Churchill Downs earlier this week and has been galloping over the Oklahoma training track the last several mornings, according to Casse.

“He trained well this morning (Sunday), but I just don’t feel comfortable breezing him yet, and you can’t go into a race like the Haskell not getting to do everything you want him to do for the race,” Casse said. “I really needed to work him tomorrow (Monday) if we were going to run, but he hasn’t been as aggressive the last few mornings as he had been prior to leaving Kentucky, and I want him to tell me when he’s ready to breeze, not the other way around. I think his back is bugging him a little again, which happens whenever he hurts his foot, and it’s something we’ll have to address.”

:: Get a jump on the Saratoga meet and save on PPs, wagering strategies, and more

Classic Empire has had a somewhat star-crossed 3-year-old campaign that began with a very disappointing performance at Gulfstream Park in the Holy Bull, after which he was discovered to have been suffering from a foot abscess. He wound up doing the bulk of his training back on the farm in Ocala before rebounding to win the Arkansas Derby in impressive fashion off a 10-week hiatus. He ultimately finished a game fourth despite an eventful trip in the Kentucky Derby before being run down late by Cloud Computing after opening a long lead at midstretch in the Preakness.

“I know it’s a tall task running in a race like the Travers off a four-month layoff,” Casse said. “But if any horse can do it, I know he can.”