A relaxed Wicked Strong works for Gold Cup

ELMONT, N.Y. - With Belmont Park’s main track playing like the Autobahn Saturday morning, Wicked Strong put in a solid, controlled six-furlong work in 1:13.17 in preparation for his engagement in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Working by himself after the renovation break, and being kept several paths off the rail by exercise rider Kelvin Pahal, Wicked Strong went in fractions of 25.39 seconds for his first quarter, 36.85 for three furlongs and he got his final three furlongs in 36.32 seconds, working an eighth of a mile past the wire. Wicked Strong, who was never really asked by Pahal, galloped out seven furlongs in 1:25.95 and pulled up a mile in 1:40.68.

“They do that when the track is as glib as that," trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. "They bounce right along. They don’t need much urging. That was good, though.”

Prior to the Belmont Stakes, Wicked Strong was working fast over the Belmont training track. Though he’s been training and racing in blinkers since the Triple Crown series, he seems to be training in a more relaxed fashion.

“He’s been good for awhile now,” said Jerkens, who trains Wicked Strong for the Centennial Farms partnership. “You certainly couldn’t say he was rank, right? He seems to go straight and true with them on instead of leaning to one side and shying away from the grandstand.”

Wicked Strong was one of six potential starters for the Jockey Club Gold Cup who turned in workouts Saturday morning.

At Belmont, Suburban winner Zivo and his stablemate Last Gunfighter worked five furlongs in company in 59.51 seconds over the quick main track. The two were basically together throughout the move, and they came home their final quarter in 24.09 seconds.

Zivo, who had a six-race winning streak snapped when he was fourth in the Grade 1 Woodward, is a definite starter for the Gold Cup. Last Gunfighter, sixth in the Woodward, is possible.

Prayer for Relief, third, beaten two lengths in the Woodward, worked five furlongs in a quicker-than-usual 58.44 seconds over Belmont’s main track. It was the second fastest of 32 works at the distance. The fastest work at the distance was by the multiple Grade 1 winner Close Hatches, who went five furlongs in 57.95 in company with Abraham.

At Saratoga, Whitney winner and Woodward runner-up Moreno went five furlongs in 1:03.31 over Saratoga training track.

Stephanoatsee, fifth in the Woodward, worked four furlongs in 48.63 seconds over the training track.

On Sunday, Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist and Travers winner V. E. Day were both expected to breeze at Belmont. Will Take Charge, last year’s Travers winner, was expected to breeze Sunday or Monday at Churchill Downs.