McCraken continues Haskell prep at Churchill

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – McCraken was sent through another swift workout Thursday as the standout 3-year-old colt continues to prepare in the relative quiet of Churchill Downs for the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational.

Trainer Ian Wilkes said he is elated with how McCraken came out of his 2 1/4-length victory in the June 17 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill, where the colt will train until leaving a few days before the July 30 Haskell at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.

“He’s doing well, doing tremendous,” said Wilkes.

Regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. was aboard McCraken for the colt’s third breeze since the Matt Winn. In company with the 3-year-old Zipp On By, a maiden winner just prior to the June 30 closing of the Churchill spring meet, McCraken earned a bullet when getting five furlongs in 1:00.40 over a fast track.

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Wilkes already has a string at Saratoga being overseen by his wife, Tracey, and said he would be commuting back and forth from the Spa prior to the Haskell. McCraken likely will have two more works at Churchill before departing.

“I thought about taking him up to Saratoga with the others, but he’s in such a nice rhythm and frame of mind that I didn’t want to take any chances on disrupting that,” said Wilkes.

The 1 1/8-mile Haskell is shaping up as a terrific race, with other prospects including Classic Empire, Timeline, Practical Joke, and Girvin.

Wilkes said members of the Whitham family, who bred and own McCraken, are planning to travel from western Kansas for the Haskell.

“When you have a horse this good, you don’t want to miss seeing them race,” said Wilkes.

McCraken has won 5 of 7 starts, with his lone defeats being a third-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes and an eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

◗ Trainer Murat Sancal has come up with another horse name for the social-media crowd: Cofveve, an unraced 2-year-old with three recent breezes at Churchill. The name is a takeoff on Covfefe, infamously tweeted by President Trump.