Saratoga: Wise Dan makes it look easy

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Wise Dan has a way of making even the most routine workout look special.

Wise Dan, the reigning Horse of the Year, put the finishing touches on his nearly flawless preparation for a defense of his title in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fourstardave by breezing an easy, maintenance half-mile in 49.57 seconds early Saturday morning on the main track. The champ then proceeded to gallop out faster than most horses work, going five-eighths in 1:01.86 and six furlongs in 1:14.64 before finally pulling up seven-eighths in 1:28.80.

Wise Dan will enter the Fourstardave having won his last seven starts and nine of his last 10, with six of those victories coming in Grade 1 races. He drew off to a convincing five-length victory over a yielding course in the 2012 Fourstardave.

“I told Damien to just let him cruise along there,” said trainer Charles LoPresti, referring to Wise Dan’s regular exercise rider, Damien Rock. “After what he did last weekend, I just wanted him to do something easy this morning. That was a walk in the park for him today. I told Damien I didn’t want him to go down there in 47, just let him do whatever he’ll do comfortably, in hand. That was workmanlike. Now he’s good to go.”

Although Wise Dan will remain on the grass in the Fourstardave, LoPresti said he wanted to work Wise Dan over the main track a couple of times while here this season.

“He didn’t handle the main track that well here last summer, but he’s a different beast up here this year,” said LoPresti. “He’s obviously better on the grass, but he can run on this track. With what I saw today, I could have run in the Whitney.

LoPresti said he would defer to Wise Dan’s owner, Morton Fink.

“He’s already made a plan to come to the Fourstardave and take the same route to get to the Breeders’ Cup as we did last year,” said LoPresti, “and I respect whatever he wants to do.”