Rich Strike, Epicenter on grounds and training toward Travers
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With the Sunday arrival of Rich Strike, the first two finishers of the Kentucky Derby are at the same facility for the first time in more than three months.
On a beautiful Monday morning in Saratoga both Rich Strike and Epicenter had markedly different training sessions as they prepare for their rematch in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 27.
On the main track, Rich Strike had “a light gallop,” per trainer Eric Reed, who noted that Rich Strike “wanted to do more” than exercise rider Gabriel Lagunes would allow on the horse’s first day in town.
Rich Strike arrived shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday following a 13-hour van ride from Reed’s Mercury Equine training center in Lexington, Ky.
Rich Strike, who has not run since a sixth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes on June 10, will likely have his last work before the Travers here Friday or Saturday.
Rich Strike will be the first Kentucky Derby winner to run in the Travers since Always Dreaming finished ninth in 2017. Street Sense in 2007 was the last Derby winner to also win the Travers.
Meanwhile, across Union Avenue on the Oklahoma training track, Epicenter put in his final major workout for the Travers. Working inside the Grade 1-winning filly Clairiere, Epicenter went five furlongs in 1:00.40. The pair got their last three furlongs in 36.15 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.68 and seven furlongs in 1:27.51.
“They just went perfect,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “Smooth as can be. I thought they were great company for each other.”
Clairiere, winner of the Grade 3 Shuvee here July 24, is pointing to the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 27.
Epicenter, who also finished second in the Preakness, is coming off a 1 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy here on July 30, for which he earned his third 102 Beyer Speed Figure of the year. In the Jim Dandy, Epicenter beat Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Zandon, Preakness winner Early Voting – both of whom are expected back in the Travers – and Tawny Port, who is likely headed to the Pennsylvania Derby.
“What I loved about the Jim Dandy is that he definitely seemed far more mature,” Asmussen said. “A better understanding of the race. He was considerably more relaxed as he was running down the backside and he picked it up when asked.”
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The weather this summer at Saratoga has been consistently dry, allowing for uninterrupted training. The heat and humidity that permeated the beginning of the meet has subsided, and temperatures were about 60 early Monday morning.
“Perfect timing how much it’s cooled off this week,” Asmussen said. “Everybody’s had a little more energy when you wanted it.”
There were 12 3-year-olds nominated to the Travers, and nine are expected to run. All nine are on the grounds and will have at least one more work here before the race.
The others expected for the race include Haskell winner Cyberknife, Dwyer winner Charge It, Curlin Stakes one-two finishers Artorius and Gilded Age, Early Voting, Zandon, and Iowa Derby winner Ain’t Life Grand.
The other three nominees are Ethereal Road, Nest, and We The People.
On Monday, Ethereal Road worked a sharp half-mile in 48.19 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. While trainer D. Wayne Lukas didn’t rule out the Travers, after hearing the prospective field for the race he indicated he’d be leaning toward running Ethereal Road in the Saranac, a Grade 3, $200,000 turf race scheduled for Sept. 3.
The filly Nest is going to run in Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama for 3-year-old fillies. We The People, the Grade 3 Peter Pan winner and recent West Virginia Derby runner-up, is likely to run in the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 24, trainer Rodolphe Brisset indicated via text.
Skippylongstocking, the West Virginia Derby winner, was not nominated to the Travers and will point to the Pennsylvania Derby, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Monday.