El Areeb looks sharp in half-mile workout
LAUREL, Md. – El Areeb, a runaway winner of four straight races, including a pair of Grade 3 stakes at Aqueduct, the Jerome and Withers, breezed a quicker-than-it-looked half-mile at his home base of Laurel Park on Saturday in 47.80 seconds.
The work was the second-fastest of 35 at the distance, according to head clocker Kevin Geraghty, who timed El Areeb through an opening quarter in 24 seconds and in a gallop-out time of 1:00.
Saturday's work was El Areeb's first since his 4 1/4-length victory in the Withers on Feb. 4. Charlie Lynch, the 18-year-old son of trainer Cal Lynch, was aboard for the breeze.
"It just felt like he was floating on air," Charlie Lynch said. "He did it all himself. I may have smooched at him once in the stretch."
Cal Lynch is closely monitoring El Areeb, who could either make his next start March 4 in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham at Aqueduct or await the final round of Kentucky Derby preps and run April 8 in either the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct or the $1 million Blue Grass at Keeneland.
Lynch said he plans to work El Areeb again next week. If Lynch is considering the Gotham for El Areeb, the colt's regular rider, Trevor McCarthy, could be in the saddle.
"He gets excited when Trevor gets on him," Lynch said.
El Areeb, a strong-looking son of Exchange Rate, was purchased by the MMG Stables of Mohammed Al-Gadhi for $340,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. auction of 2-year-olds in training last March.
"He has a big old hip on him," Lynch said. "He's still carrying a lot of weight. He looks a little fat, actually."
El Areeb was a perfect gentleman Saturday while being tacked up and during his breeze. He came onto the track at the three-eighths-pole gap, backtracked to the half-mile pole, and then jogged one lap around the 1 1/8-mile track before beginning his work.
According to Lynch, El Areeb is not always so agreeable.
"He's tough in his stall; he's been eating his groom alive," Lynch said. "We gave him his Lasix this morning. He knew he was going to do something. He had his game face on."
