Pure Sensation not ready for retirement home yet
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Pure Sensation worked three furlongs in 37.23 seconds Friday morning over the Oklahoma turf course, and the 9-year-old gelding is being pointed to next Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Troy Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs.
“You’d never know he was 9 years old the way he worked today,” trainer Christophe Clement said.
Pure Sensation has won 11 stakes, including seven at Parx. His first stakes victory came in 2014 at Saratoga, where he won the Quick Call. He has run in the Troy twice, finishing third last year and sixth in 2017.
Pure Sensation came off a seven-month layoff and ran seventh of eight in the Grade 1 Jaipur June 20 at Belmont, a race in which he got caught up in a torrid speed duel.
Meanwhile, Clement worked his pair of 3-year-old turf stakes winners Decorated Invader and Gufo on Friday morning. Decorated Invader went a half-mile in 50.48, making up a length on Gufo, who went in 50.68. Both are being pointed to the $500,000 Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles on Aug. 15.
“They looked good,” Clement said. “It’s exciting.”
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The Clement-trained Momos, a 6 1/2-length debut winner here on July 18, worked three furlongs in 36 seconds Friday morning in preparation for next Friday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special. Clement said he prefers to run Momos in the six-furlong Special as opposed to waiting for the Grade 1 Hopeful at seven furlongs on Sept. 7.
“If he’s a sprinter why don’t we keep him sprinting?” Clement said. “He’s fast.”