Plenty of big names on busy Saturday work tab

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With inclement weather on the horizon, trainers flooded the work tab on both tracks on a gorgeous Saturday morning at Saratoga with more than 350 horses putting in timed workouts.

Among the highlights of an outrageously busy morning was the return to the worktab of Belmont Stakes runner-up Gronkowski and Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Instilled Regard.

Gronkowski, who has not worked since June 23, breezed a half-mile in 48.09 seconds over the Saratoga main track. He went in company with Kurilov, a Group 1 winner in Chile who has not run since finishing eighth in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth last year. The pair galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.40, according to Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch.

“The horse worked very well,” trainer Chad Brown said of Gronkowski. “I thought he did that as good as a horse can do it.”

Brown said he is going to try and train Gronkowski up to the Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 25. In his lone start in the U.S, Gronkowski finished a late-running second to Justify in the Belmont Stakes. He worked on June 23, but came out of the work with an issue that forced Brown to keep him off the worktab until now.

“He’s got a strong mile-and-a-half race and he did have one breeze post-race that was good and that’s where he aggravated something – since resolved – and he looks good,” Brown said. “It’s definitely forced me to make a plan I didn’t think I’d have to make – train up to a race like this – but that said, he’s gotten back on track. Hopefully, he stays there.”

Meanwhile, Instilled Regard worked three furlongs in 37.88 seconds, his first work since running fourth in the Kentucky Derby and first since he was transferred by owner Larry Best from Jerry Hollendorfer to Brown.

“Real happy with that horse, he’s moving well, see how he comes out of it and go on from there,” said Brown, who wanted to talk to Best before revealing what he’d like to do with Instilled Regard.

Brown worked approximately 45 horses on Saturday. That included the team of Engage and Alter Moon, who went a half-mile in 48.37 seconds and out five furlongs in 1:01.57 over the main track. Engage is pointing to next Saturday’s Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes. Alter Moon, winner of the Azalea Stakes at Gulfstream, was purchased out of the recent Fasig-Tipton bloodstock sale for $675,000 by Peter Brant and transferred to Brown. She could run in either the Grade 1 Test on Aug. 4 or the Grade 2 Prioress on Sept. 2.

It was a busy morning for Todd Pletcher as well. Among his workers was the team of Vino Rosso and Tapwrit, who went four furlongs together in 48.62 seconds over the Oklahoma training track.

Vino Rosso, the Wood Memorial winner who most recently ran fourth in the Belmont Stakes, is pointing to the Grade 2 Jim Dandy next Saturday here. Tapwrit, the 2017 Belmont Stakes winner who most recently finished fourth in the Suburban, is pointing to the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 4.

The two galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.07 and six furlongs in 1:13.47, actually brushing entering the far turn. Pletcher noted that he worked them together in part because both horses will be cutting back in distance to 1 1/8 miles for their next starts.

“I wasn’t concerned about fitness or stamina from either one, I just wanted to sharpen them up a little bit,” Pletcher said. “I thought they both finished nicely and galloped out well. It was a good progressive breeze from both of them.”

Pletcher also worked Hi Happy, who went four furlongs in 49.66 second in company with Master Plan. Hi Happy is pointing to next Saturday’s Grade 2 Bowling Green.

Ivy Bell, second by 7 1/2 lengths to Abel Tasman in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, worked five furlongs in 1:00.10 in company with Speke. She is preparing for a start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee here on July 29.

“Another strong breeze from her which is what we’ve come to expect,” Pletcher said. “I’m still confident that she’ll handle two turns, we’re getting ready to find out.”