Mr Speaker working toward Travers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Shug McGaughey wasn’t ready to declare Mr Speaker a definite starter for the $1.25 million Travers just yet, but he certainly sounded like he was headed in that direction after watching his 3-year-old work a solid five furlongs in 59.72 seconds over Saratoga’s main track Saturday.

Mr Speaker, the winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on turf in his most recent start, worked in company inside of Imagining, finishing about a length in front at the wire. With jockey Jose Lezcano up, Mr Speaker galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.04 and seven-eighths in 1:29.16.

“I was very pleased with what I saw. It’s a hot, humid morning. I thought he handled it all really well,” McGaughey said. “What I’m going to do, I don’t know. It’s completely my decision, but I want to get some sort of feel from Mr. [Ogden] Phipps, too.”

It was Mr Speaker’s third work over the dirt at Saratoga, and with each one, McGaughey seems to be gravitating toward the Travers on Aug. 23.

“Today would make me feel like it a little bit more,” he said. “Just see how he comes out of it and go from there.”

Imagining is being pointed to the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational on Aug. 17.