Olympiad works half-mile for Whitney Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Olympiad tuned up for his toughest assignment of the year in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes, by working a half-mile in 47.73 seconds Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track.
Under exercise rider Neil Poznansky, Olympiad went in splits of 12.38 seconds and 24.14 and galloped out a solid five furlongs in 1:00.93, and six in 1:15.23.
Trainer Bill Mott said he was looking for a little slower time, but wasn’t upset with the way the work was done considering Poznansky didn’t ask him for anything.
“He was good this morning,” Mott said. “I asked Neil to go in 49 and he thought he hit it on the nose. He was just sitting there. He thought I’d be upset. I said ‘I guess I’d be more worried if you were pushing on him and he went 51 out in 1:04.’ Good horses can work fast.”
Olympiad has certainly proven he’s a good horse.
After ending his 3-year-old season with a fourth-place finish to Americanrevolution in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, Olympiad has gone 5 for 5 this year with victories in the Mineshaft and New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds, and the Alysheba and Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.
Olympiad was favored in all five of those races this year. On Saturday, he figures to be the second choice behind Life Is Good, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner who this year has won the Grade 1 Pegasus Invitational at Gulfstream and the Grade 2 John Nerud at Belmont Park.
Life Is Good will be one of three horses trainer Todd Pletcher enters in the Whitney, though not all three are definite to run. Happy Saver, second to Flightline in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, will run. Americanrevolution, last year’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile winner, is still a question mark.
“We’re going to enter, we’re not fully sure what we’re going to do,” Pletcher said. “Survey things throughout the week and see how the draw goes, see how he trains. It’ll probably be a Saturday decision.”
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Hot Rod Charlie, last year’s Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby winner, is scheduled to work Monday at Keeneland and then ship to Saratoga on Monday night. Zoomer, the winner of a $50,000 claiming race last out, will also be entered.
Entries close and post positions will be drawn Wednesday for the Whitney, a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Keeneland.