Competitive Edge breezes for Haskell

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Competitive Edge completed his preparation for next Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational and a date with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah by working four furlongs Sunday at Saratoga.

Competitive Edge, working outside of Stanford, was timed by Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch in 48.32 seconds, with a final quarter in 23.39. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.07 and six furlongs in 1:14.01.

That breeze occurred at around 6:30 a.m., when rain was falling. Still, the main track remained fast.

“I was just hoping that he’d continue to work the way he’s been working,” Pletcher said of Competitive Edge. “I feel like the horse is training extremely well, seems like he’s doing as good as he can do. I’m confident that he will show up and run his race.”

Competitive Edge, a son of Super Saver, had won his first four starts before finishing last in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park on Belmont Stakes Day. A virus had come through Pletcher’s Belmont Park barn that week, and though Competitive Edge did not show clinical signs of being ill, Pletcher believes he may have been impacted.

Though rider plans were not finalized as of Sunday morning, it is expected that Mike Smith will ride Competitive Edge in the Haskell. Pletcher said Competitive Edge would van from Saratoga to Monmouth Park the morning of the Haskell.

Stanford, who won the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 11, is being considered for Friday’s $100,000 Curlin Stakes at Saratoga or Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer.

Pletcher is scheduled to run Materiality in Saturday’s Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. Tommy Macho, third in the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes on July 4, is under consideration for the Curlin and West Virginia Derby as well.

Entries for the Curlin and West Virginia Derby will be taken Monday.

Pletcher worked several of his older male stakes horses Sunday morning, including Palace Malice, who put in arguably his best work since returning to training when he went five furlongs in 1:01.60 in company with Protonico.

Palace Malice, unraced since finishing third in the Diablo Stakes on May 10, galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.80, seven-eighths in 1:27.40, and a mile in 1:42.60.

Protonico did not gallop out as far, as per instructions by Pletcher, who is running Protonico in next Sunday’s Monmouth Cup.

“Good, solid work, impressed by the gallop-out,” Pletcher said of Palace Malice. “When he’s doing well, he puts in those kinds of works.”

Palace Malice is nominated to the $100,000 Alydar Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race Aug. 9. Also nominated to the Alydar are Mylute and Anchor Down, who worked a half-mile in 49.21 seconds, with a final quarter in 24.03 seconds, on Sunday over the main track.

Among Pletcher’s other workers was the team of Angela Renee and Stopchargingmaria, who went a half-mile in company in 47.29 seconds, galloping out five furlongs in 59.98 and six furlongs in 1:13.50.

Angela Renee is pointing to the Grade 1 Test on Aug. 8, while Stopchargingmaria, last year’s Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama winner, is running in next Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Shuvee.

“Angela Renee’s last two breezes have been pretty sharp,” Pletcher said. “Stopchargingmaria, when she’s on her ‘A’ game, she lets you know. Those are the works we’ve seen before the Coaching Club last year, before the win at Pimlico.”

Stopchargingmaria is coming off a four-length victory in the Allaire duPont at Pimlico on May 15.

Pletcher said Uncle Vinny came out of his victory in the Grade 2 Sanford Stakes on Saturday in good shape and will be considered for the Grade 1 Hopeful later in the meet.

– additional reporting by Mike Welsch