Hot Rod Charlie on track for Whitney after work at Keeneland
Hot Rod Charlie breezed six furlongs in 1:12.40 Monday morning at Keeneland, his last serious move before he runs in the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 6.
It was the fourth work for Hot Rod Charlie -- all at Keeneland -- since he was beaten a head by Mind Control in the Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park on June 18.
Trainer Doug O’Neill, reached at Del Mar Monday morning, said he saw a video of the work and liked what he saw.
“He finished up great, galloped out good, cooled out well, scoped clean,” O’Neill said. “One day closer to the Whitney. I was looking for a good six furlongs, which is what we got and we’ll probably put a little lung opener in him early next week and then send him to Saratoga.”
O’Neill said Hot Rod Charlie seems to have done well at Keeneland, which is why he is going to let him do all his work there before coming to Saratoga.
“It’s a really comfortable place for him to be,” O’Neill said.
O’Neill confirmed that Hot Rod Charlie will run in blinkers in the Whitney and Flavien Prat will ride.
The Whitney, a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, drew just 10 nominations led by Life Is Good and Olympiad, both of whom are expected to run. Happy Saver is the fourth horse considered definite for the Whitney.
:: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.
Art Collector and Americanrevolution are possible, though Art Collector is likely to run in the $135,000 Alydar Stakes on Aug. 4 while Americanrevolution has the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 3 as his penciled-in next race. The 6-year-old Zoomer, a seven-length winner of a $50,000 claiming race on July 17 from which he was taken by owner Gary Barber, is also nominated to the Whitney.