Kingsbarns to bypass Whitney for Jockey Club Gold Cup

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Kingsbarns, the Grade 1 Stephen Foster winner, returned to the work tab Friday morning in Saratoga but he will bypass the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes here on Aug. 3 and point to the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga on Sept. 1, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Pletcher said the Jockey Club, at 1 1/4 miles, will be used as a stepping-stone to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

“He runs well fresh,” Pletcher said. “If we run in the Whitney, he’d need to run back before the Breeders’ Cup. We can keep fresh for the Jockey Club and Breeders’ Cup.”

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Kingsbarns, who has made four starts already this year, went an easy half-mile in 51.17 seconds Friday morning, getting a final quarter in 25.21 seconds.

“We just let him get back on the work tab three weeks after the Stephen Foster. We didn’t want to do too much,” Pletcher said.

Earlier in the morning, Bright Future, last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, worked five furlongs in 1:01.72 in preparation for the Whitney. He worked in company with Charge It, who is under consideration for the Whitney pending the complexion of the field. Bright Future’s gallop-out was particularly strong, going six furlongs in 1:14.40 and seven furlongs in 1:27.47.

Bright Future has only raced once this year, a 1 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park.

Others under consideration for the Whitney are National Treasure and Arthur’s Ride.

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