Mr Speaker works five furlongs, circles Travers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Shug McGaughey stopped just short of committing Mr Speaker to the Grade 1 Travers, but following another solid workout Sunday morning over Saratoga’s main track, it would certainly be surprising if he doesn’t run in the $1.25 million race for 3-year-olds here on Aug. 23.

Mr Speaker worked five furlongs in 1:01.80, getting his final quarter in 24.90 seconds while moving easily and comfortably under exercise rider Lena Lorieul. He then proceeded to gallop out six furlongs in 1:14.91 and seven furlongs in 1:28.68. He worked outside the 3-year-old colt Ragtime, a two-time winner from five starts.

It was Mr Speaker’s fourth workout on dirt at Saratoga, third over the main track. Last week, with jockey Jose Lezcano up, Mr Speaker went a fast five furlongs in 59.72 in company with the turf horse Imagining.

Though Sunday’s work was slower, McGaughey said, “I like the way he went today better than last time really. The way he finished up and as soon as she dropped her hands on him at the wire, he was gone.”

McGaughey said he still wanted to talk to owner Ogden Phipps about running in the Travers but said he could not see any reason not to run.

Mr Speaker has run only once on the dirt, finishing seventh in the Grade 2 Holy Bull at Gulfstream in January. Since then, he’s won the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes on synthetic and the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational on turf. The latter race was run at 1 1/4 miles, the same distance as the Travers.

“I got no idea how he’s going to run on the dirt, but he’s handling everything so well. You only got one opportunity,” McGaughey said. “I don’t want him to run bad, but I have no way of knowing. His training says he’ll run good, and if he runs good, he’ll definitely run that far.”

As of Sunday, the Travers field was expected to include Bayern, Wicked Strong, Tonalist, Kid Cruz, Commanding Curve, V. E. Day, and Charge Now.