Phileas Fogg to skip Whitney as Rodriguez audibles to Jockey Club Gold Cup
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − Phileas Fogg, the 10-length winner of the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes here last month, will not run in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, trainer Gustavo Rodriguez said Saturday afternoon. Instead, he will wait for the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Sept. 18.
Though Phileas Fogg has shown an affinity for Saratoga, he also has a propensity for 1 1/4 miles. The Whitney is run at 1 1/8 miles. Moreover, the race is coming up ultra tough with the likes of Magnitude, Sovereignty, Baeza, White Abarrio, Nitrogen and Antiquarian − all Grade 1 or multiple Grade 1 winners − in the field.
“The race is very, very tough, the distance is [too short], and we would like to give him more time,” Rodriguez said. “We’re going to skip the Whitney and wait for Belmont.”
The Jockey Club Gold is expected to attract defending Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young.
Meanwhile, a couple of Whitney horses put in their final workouts Saturday morning at Saratoga. Magnitude, the Dubai World Cup and Stephen Foster winner, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.47 over the Oklahoma training track. Under Jose Ortiz, he went in company with Tiztastic and got his final quarter in 24.00 seconds while galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.08. It was the third straight week Ortiz was on Magnitude.
“He’s doing amazing,” Ortiz said. “Everytime I work him he’s been great. Last week we wanted a little more and to day was more like maintenance but the work was great.
Antiquarian, last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, was credited with a half-mile move in 47.37 seconds, a work that was somewhat shrouded in fog and done in company with Classicist. Manny Franco was aboard for the work and is expected to ride Antiquarian in the Whitney.
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