Kentucky Derby, Belmont runners expected to meet in Jim Dandy
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Golden Tempo won’t be running in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes in Saratoga, but the horses who finished immediately behind him in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes are expected to make that Aug. 1 race for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.
Renegade, beaten a neck by Golden Tempo in the Kentucky Derby, worked a half-mile in 50.50 seconds on Sunday at Saratoga. It was his first work since he finished third behind Golden Tempo in the Belmont Stakes.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said that Renegade came out of the Belmont “better than the Derby. We gave him a bit of time before breezing back. We should be able to get five works in him before the Jim Dandy.”
Commandment, who finished second to Golden Tempo in the Belmont, also returned to the work tab on Sunday at Churchill Downs, breezing a half-mile in 48.80. Trainer Brad Cox had previously stated the Jim Dandy is Commandment’s next start and added that he will prepare the horse at Churchill before shipping him here the week of the race.
Chip Honcho, winner of the Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 20, is already in Saratoga and is being pointed to the Jim Dandy, trainer Steve Asmussen said. Prior to the Ohio Derby, Chip Honcho was third in the Preakness behind Napoleon Solo and Iron Honor. Those two horses are pointing to the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 18.
Emerging Market, the Louisiana Derby winner who lost a shoe in both the Kentucky Derby (10th) and Belmont Stakes (5th), has been training in glue-on shoes. The horse has fired two bullet workouts over the Oklahoma training track since the Belmont and trainer Chad Brown said he’s considering either the Jim Dandy or an allowance race, the latter most likely would have to be against older horses.
“I definitely haven’t lost any confidence in the horse, but I definitely have to take a step back, and if I think he’s a Travers horse – which I still think he is – how do I get him there off a good race?” Brown said.
Chief Wallabee, who finished fourth in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, is eligible for the Curlin Stakes for 3-year-olds on July 29 and that is likely his target, trainer Bill Mott said.
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