Ny Traffic starts working his way toward Kentucky Derby
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Ny Traffic, beaten a nose by Authentic in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 18, returned to the work tab Thursday at Saratoga, breezing a half-mile in 49.90 seconds over the main track.
Ny Traffic, who got his last quarter in 24.25 seconds and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.63, is training toward a start in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5.
“That was the first of four works for him,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “Next week, he’ll probably have a five or a half-mile gallop out five-eighths and then two more five-eighths after that.”
In addition to his narrow loss to Authentic in the Haskell, Ny Traffic has runner-up finishes to Maxfield in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill Downs and Wells Bayou in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.
Ny Traffic shipped to Saratoga the day after the Haskell and Joseph said he doesn’t mind having seven weeks between races for the New York-bred son of Cross Traffic.
“He’s done really well,” Joseph said. “We got a lot of time. Sometimes there’s too much time, but I think we’re right where we want to be right now. We just need everything to go right and he should move forward again.”
Paco Lopez is scheduled to ride Ny Traffic in the Derby.
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On Sunday, Tonalist’s Shape worked a half-mile in 51.23 seconds over Saratoga’s main track. While she is nominated to the Grade 1 Alabama on Aug. 15, Joseph said he is leaning against running her in that spot and just training her into the Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4.
Tonalist’s Shape has won six of eight starts, including four stakes, and is coming off a fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks.
“If we had won that last race we would never have gone to the Alabama, so why let one interruption put us off our plan?” Joseph said. “It’s not totally ruled out, but unlikely.”
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Joseph said that while he is still pointing Tonalist’s Shape to the Oaks, he could call an audible and run her in the Grade 2, $300,000 Eight Belles Stakes at seven furlongs on the same card.
“The Oaks right now is the first preference,” Joseph said.
On Thursday, Math Wizard worked a half-mile in 48.65 seconds over Saratoga’s main track. Math Wizard, the 2019 Pennsylvania Derby winner, is coming off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 18.
Joseph said the options for Math Wizard are the Grade 2, $600,000 Charles Town Classic on Aug. 28 or the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward at Saratoga on Sept. 5.
“The way he worked today makes me want to go to the Woodward, but that’s going to be the owners’ call where they want to go,” Joseph said.