Rosario gets feel for Gronkowski

Joel Rosario will ride Gronkowski in the Travers Stakes and on Sunday he got to test-drive the Belmont Stakes runner-up, guiding him through a five-furlong drill in 1:01.32 over the Saratoga main track.

Gronkowski worked in company with the 3-year-old maiden Allured. Gronkowski, wearing blinkers and on the outside, went three furlongs in 36.99 seconds then got a last quarter in 24.33 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.79 and seven furlongs in 1:26.94.

“He wanted me to go ahead and let him finish up and gallop out nice,” Rosario said. “He seems very easy to ride, but you have to encourage him a little bit to grab the bridle. But once he does it, he comes running.”

Brown continues to be encouraged with Gronkowski’s progression since his runner-up finish to Justify in the Belmont.

“The horse worked extremely well, particularly his gallop out was strong,” Brown said. “We got him where we need him.”

Tenfold, the Jim Dandy winner, worked five furlongs in 1:01.25 early Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track. The Steve Asmussen-trainee went in company with Meistermind, getting his last quarter-mile in 24.08 seconds while galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.06 and seven furlongs in 1:28.98.

** Instilled Regard, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, worked a half-mile in 49.34 seconds over the Saratoga main track, galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.95 and six furlongs in 1:14.13.