Private Zone sizzles in Forego work

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jorge Navarro made the long drive back to his Monmouth Park base on Saturday with a smile on his face after watching the star of his barn, Private Zone, sizzle a half-mile in 45.80 seconds over a swift Saratoga main track that morning in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade 1 Forego.

The fast time didn’t tell the whole story about Private Zone’s work. The gallop-out was equally impressive, five furlongs in 58.50, after which the three-time Grade 1 winner continued to tug his rider all the way back around past the six-furlong pole before finally pulling up midway down the backstretch.

“I didn’t want him to go that fast,” Navarro said. “But a couple of horses broke from the gate in front of him, and when he saw them, he really took off. But he did it all on his own and cooled out excellent. The gallop-out was terrific, although I try to let all my horses gallop out strongly after they work.”

Private Zone won the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship and the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes this year, both seven-furlong races, like the Forego.

Private Zone was among a handful of Forego contenders to work Saturday. He was joined on the tab by Wildcat Red, Tamarkuz, Race Day, and Salutos Amigos.

Wildcat Red, who exits a victory in Monmouth’s Teddy Drone Stakes, went five furlongs in 59.60 with Jose Lezcano aboard. Lezcano will replace Paco Lopez, who has other commitments Saturday, aboard Wildcat Red for trainer Jose Garoffalo in the Forego.

“I wanted him to go in a minute, but the track was a little fast, so the time was fine,” said Garoffalo. “He needed his first start back off the layoff in the Smile [Sprint] and ran well considering the time off and quality of the competition. And I used the race at Monmouth as a prep for the Forego, which is at the distance I really want for him, seven furlongs.”

Race Day worked four furlongs in company with Stopchargingmaria in 47.80. Tamarkuz, who finished fourth while making his U.S. debut in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, went four furlongs in 47.59 alongside Classy Class for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, while Salutos Amigos breezed an easy half-mile in 51 seconds.

Other potential starters in the Forego include The Big Beast, Bourbon Courage, Run for Logistics, and Viva Majorca.