Essential Quality among six Travers workers Saturday
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Led by Essential Quality, six of the expected seven runners for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes, put in their final workout for the race Saturday morning at Saratoga.
But, wait, there’s more.
Letruska, the leading older female in the country, and Swiss Skydiver, last year’s 3-year-old champion filly, also put in sharp moves Saturday toward their meeting in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign at Saratoga.
With the main track wet and sealed early in the morning, the action came fast and furious when the track was harrowed - and in better condition - following the mid-morning renovation break.
Essential Quality, who typically works at 5:30 a.m., was held until after the break by trainer Brad Cox. Essential Quality, with regular rider Luis Saez up, went five furlongs in 1:01.37 while outside of Bonny South, who is pointing to the Personal Ensign.
From the half-mile pole, Essential Quality went his first quarter in 23.41 seconds, hit the wire in 48.07 and then went a furlong past the wire in 13.30. It was his second work since his half-length victory over Keepmeinmind in the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy here on July 31.
“His last two works, he seems to be a little bit more aggressive and on it early,” Cox said. “That was my plan - not get him over the top for the Jim Dandy and now try to get him a little sharper for the Travers. The training plan seems to be coming together. We still have a week left.”
Essential Quality will try to add the Travers to a 3-year-old resume that includes victories in the Belmont Stakes, Blue Grass, Southwest and Jim Dandy.
Keepmeinmind went a half-mile by himself in 47.55 seconds. Trainer Robertino Diodoro likes what he’s seen from Keepmeinmind since his runner-up finish in the Jim Dandy.
“He’s definitely put on weight since the Jim Dandy,” Diodoro said. “That was one of my concerns going into the Jim Dandy. I thought he was starting to get a little light on us. I really think the horse is blossoming right now.”
Masqueparade, third in the Jim Dandy after beating Keepemeinmind in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby, worked a half-mile in 48.11 seconds, getting his final three furlongs in 35.34 seconds according to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. Masqueparade went in company with Sum Kinda Pretty, recent winner of a $40,000 maiden-claiming race.
Masqueparade was under a hard hold from his exercise rider coming to the wire.
“That was his best work to date for his career, to be honest with you,” trainer Al Stall said.
Trainers Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown moved all their works from the main track to the Oklahoma training track, which was in excellent shape all morning.
Dynamic One, the Curlin Stakes winner, went a half-mile in 50.39 working in company with Spice Is Nice. Miles D, the Curlin runner-up, went five furlongs in 1:01.16 in company with Southern District, a 3-year-old maiden winner.
Miles D will enter the 1 ¼-mile Travers having made just three starts, one beyond a mile.
“He’s training really well, he’s an improving horse,” Brown said. “I thought his race in the Curlin was a big step forward.”
King Fury, the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes winner and Ohio Derby runner-up, worked five furlongs in 1:01.17, with a final quarter in 24.75 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. King Fury will be running back three weeks after finishing 10th in the Saratoga Derby on turf.
The only other expected Travers starter is Midnight Bourbon. He was slated to have his final work Sunday or Monday.
Entries for the Travers are to be taken Wednesday morning at 10:45 at the Whitney pavilion.
Meanwhile, Letruska went five furlongs in 59.29 seconds with regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard. Trainer Fausto Gutierrez was hoping to work Letruska Thursday or Friday, but wanted to wait for a better track.
It was Letruska’s first work in two weeks. In the interim, she has shipped from Keeneland to Monmouth and then to Saratoga.
“She’s ready to run,” Gutierrez said. “She’s in very good form, I’m happy because she scoped clean and Irad told me she came back very good.”
Swiss Skydiver was credited with a five-furlong move in 1:00. She had to go around a pair of Jorge Abreu-trained runners, which accelerated her finish.
“We tried to time it so it wouldn’t be so crowded out there, but it was,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “I think she needed that.”