Keen Ice turns in strong work for Whitney

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher was all smiles when reflecting on Keen Ice’s final work for next Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney, an easy half-mile in 49.11 seconds punctuated by a sparkling gallop-out into and around the clubhouse turn.

Working in company Saturday with the 3-year-old Patch, Keen Ice began to assert his class nearing the wire, edging two lengths clear while well in reserve before accelerating into the clubhouse bend, completing five-eighths in 1:01.52 and three-quarters in 1:13.84 before pulling up seven furlongs in 1:27.41.

“I thought he worked really, really well,” Pletcher said. “The effortless way he did it to the wire and the strength of the gallop-out was kind of what we’ve been seeing from him leading into the Suburban and what we have continued to see him do afterwards as well.”

Keen Ice registered his first victory since upsetting American Pharoah in the 2015 Travers when rallying to a convincing three-length triumph over Shaman Ghost in the Grade 2 Suburban earlier this month at Belmont Park.

“I think he’s sitting on another big race,” said Pletcher. “Obviously, we have a lot of respect for Gun Runner. I wish [the Whitney] was a mile and a quarter, but I think he’s in awfully good form at the moment.”

Pletcher said that although Patch certainly was second-best in the drill, it sets him up nicely for next Saturday’s Grade 3 West Virginia Derby.

“It was a typical Patch work,” said Pletcher. “He’s a better racehorse than a breeze horse, but it was enough to put him on target for West Virginia.”

Pletcher also sent out Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit to breeze an easy half-mile in 49.40 with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard shortly after the renovation break. Working in company with the older Destin, Tapwrit also galloped out well, completing five-eighths in 1:02.60 before pulling up in 1:15.80.

“It was a solid work. We weren’t looking to overdo it today,” said Pletcher. “We’re still four weeks out from the Travers, and we’ve got three more works to go, and we’ll just keep getting a little more serious as we go along.”