Just F Y I fires back-to-back bullet works ahead of Acorn

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The reigning 2-year-old male champion Fierceness may not be running next weekend in Saratoga, but the reigning 2-year-old filly champ will be, as Just F Y I had her final preparations Friday morning for next Friday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn Stakes at Saratoga.

Just F Y I, second to Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks in her most recent start, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 over the Oklahoma training track on Friday morning. Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch caught Just F Y I’s last quarter in 24.40 seconds. The final time was the fastest off 11 works at the distance Friday morning. On May 20, Just F Y I worked a half-mile in 47.00 seconds, the fastest of 22 drills at the distance that day.

Trainer Bill Mott said that exercise rider Brittany Troxtell on Just F Y I “let her finish in her hands all the way through the stretch like she did the other day.”

“The other day, she flew home, today we went a little farther. To go 1:01-and-one on this track is pretty good and [Troxtell] said she felt like she had a lot left,” Mott said.

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Just F Y I, who had to scratch from the Davona Dale at Gulfstream in March due to a fever, had made just one start prior to the Kentucky Oaks, that being a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland to Leslie’s Rose. Mott said he was perfectly fine with Just F Y I’s preparation going into the Oaks.

“I thought I was where I wanted to be in the Kentucky Oaks,” Mott said. “I don’t know that I’m any better than I was going into the Kentucky Oaks.”

The Acorn, which will be run at the Kentucky Oaks distance of 1 1/8 miles, is expected to draw Thorpedo Anna, who was to work on Saturday at Saratoga. Thorpedo Anna, trained by Kenny McPeek, is also under consideration for the Belmont Stakes, but only if Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, also trained by McPeek, doesn’t run in that race.

Others expected for the Acorn include Leslie’s Rose and Candied, first and fourth, respectively, in the Ashland; Black-Eyed Susan winner Gun Song, Becky’s Joker, My Mane Squeeze, Regulatory Risk, and Where’s My Ring.

On Friday, Leslie’s Rose and Candied worked a half-mile together in 49.02 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. Welsch had the pair’s last quarter in 24.23 seconds and had them galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.88 and six furlongs in 1:14.58.

“I thought they went well. They were both strong coming to the wire, very good gallop-outs, thought it was an excellent move from both fillies,” said Todd Pletcher, trainer of both fillies.

Leslie’s Rose finished 13th of 14 in the Kentucky Oaks, which was run over a sloppy track. Pletcher said if the Saratoga main track came up sloppy Friday, he may not run Leslie’s Rose. Candied finished fourth in the Ashland, then was left one spot on the also-eligible list for the Kentucky Oaks. She would have been scratched anyway had she drawn into the Oaks due to a bruised foot.

“We didn’t lose much [training] time at all,” Pletcher said. “Thankfully, everything’s gone smoothly since then.”

At Belmont on Friday, Gun Song worked a half-mile in 49.80 seconds over the training track. She went in company with long-distance turf runner Harry Hood. Trainer Mark Hening said he wasn’t looking to do a whole lot with Gun Song, considering she just ran two weeks ago winning the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico.

“We got what we wanted. We’ll see how she bounced out of it,” Hennig said. “As of now, we’re heading that way.”

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