Happy Saver, Malathaat turn it up in stakes works

ELMONT, N.Y. – Undefeated Grade 1 winners Happy Saver and Malathaat as well as the up-and-coming 3-year-old Following Sea all picked up the pace in their training Friday morning at Belmont Park as they prepare for upcoming stakes engagements. All three are trained by Todd Pletcher.

Happy Saver, last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with an allowance win on May 28 to improve to 5 for 5. He worked five furlongs in 59.33 seconds over the Belmont Park training track preparing for the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban Stakes on July 3. Happy Saver, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, worked in company with Moretti – also possible for the Suburban – and covered his last quarter in 24.11 seconds while galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.75 and seven furlongs in 1:26.36.

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“He’s coming off the one mile race which was pretty easy for him and, like I said, going into that I felt like we had done just enough with him to have him ready,” Pletcher said. “Stretching out to a mile and a quarter, we needed a good, solid work and I was happy with what he did.”

In the Suburban, Happy Saver is expected to face Mystic Guide, whom he beat in the Jockey Club but who is coming off a win in the Dubai World Cup.

Pletcher said the Suburban could be a way for Moretti to get to the $120,000 Birdstone at Saratoga on Aug. 5.

Earlier Friday morning, Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat worked a half-mile in 48.31 seconds, getting her final quarter 23.67 seconds and galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.53. Malathaat, who is also 5 for 5, worked inside of Wood Memorial runner-up Dynamic One. It was her second work since Pletcher backed off her training briefly following the Kentucky Oaks.

“We were looking to do a tick more than we did last week and she was looking to do a tick more than we wanted her to, so we reeled in the gallop-out,” said Pletcher, who radioed such instructions to exercise rider Amelia Green. “I thought she looked great. So far, so good.”

Following Sea, who won a first-level allowance under Joel Rosario on June 3 going 6 1/2 furlongs, worked four furlongs in 48.42 seconds in company with the 3-year-old filly Jordan’s Leo. Following Sea got his final quarter in 23.61 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.25.

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Following Sea is under consideration for either the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer, a one-turn mile race at Belmont on July 5, or the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational, a two-turn, 1 1/8-mile race on July 17 at Monmouth Park.

“He looks like a two-turn horse, he trains like a two-turn horse,” Pletcher said. “He’s got so much natural speed, but he also seems kind enough that he’ll rate, so I guess that could be a strength at Monmouth.”

Noting that jockeys are not permitted to use the whip for encouragement in races run at Monmouth Park, Pletcher said, “If you watch his two wins with Joel, he didn’t even show him the stick.”

Pletcher said a decision on Following Sea’s next start would be made after his next workout, which likely will come next Friday.

Also working Friday for Pletcher were Con Lima, the Grade 3 Wonder Again winner, who went a half-mile in 51.63 seconds in preparation for a start in the $1 million Belmont Oaks on July 10, and the debut-winning 2-year-old Wit, who went a half-mile in 50.55 seconds in company with Keepcalmcarryon.