Comfort targets Seattle Slew Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Comfort, the runner-up to Frosted in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 6, will prep for the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup by running in next Saturday’s $100,000 Seattle Slew Stakes at Belmont Park, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Pletcher opted to skip Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodward and point to the Jockey Club Gold Cup but thought the Seattle Slew, run at 1 1/16 miles, would be a good bridge to the Gold Cup on Oct. 8.

“He likes Belmont,” Pletcher said. “It might be easier to get a race over the track rather than train all the way up to the Gold Cup.”

The Seattle Slew has similar conditions to the State Dinner, a stakes race Comfort won by 3 1/4 lengths at Belmont on July 4. Comfort is 2 for 2 at Belmont.

In the State Dinner, Comfort beat Touchofstarquality, who is also pointing to the Seattle Slew, entries for which will be drawn Wednesday.

Others expected for the race include Baccelo, the winner of the Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth, Majestic Affair, and Mylute.

The Seattle Slew would have seemed like an ideal spot to bring Keen Ice back to the races, but Pletcher said last year’s Travers winner is not quite ready to return.

On Saturday, Keen Ice worked five furlongs in 1:02.33 over the Oklahoma training track in company with Protonico, another stakes-winning older horse who has not been out since last year’s Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.

New York Racing Association clockers caught Keen Ice and Protonico in splits of 13.39 seconds, 25.78, and 37.61 and had the pair galloping-out six furlongs in 1:16.60.

It was the fourth work for Keen Ice this summer. He has not run since finishing eighth in the Dubai World Cup in March, after which he was diagnosed with an injury before being moved to Pletcher.

“Everything’s gone smoothly since he started breezing,” Pletcher said. “He’s still a ways away; he’s a big horse, been off for a while. We don’t really have a specific target yet but like the progress he’s making.”

Protonico, a four-time graded stakes winner, is also nominated to the Seattle Slew and is possible for that race, Pletcher said.