Shipsational working, will likely return in the fall
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While Shipsational won’t be competing in Friday’s $250,000 Albany Stakes, one of 11 races and six stakes restricted to New York-breds on the Saratoga card, the 3-year-old who placed in two open-company stakes during the winter is working his way back to the races.
On Sunday, Shipsational worked four furlongs in 48.03 seconds, his third recorded work since he was knocked off the Triple Crown trail with a slight separation of the suspensory ligament in his right foreleg in March.
In Sunday’s move, Shipsational went his first quarter in 24.16 seconds, his second quarter in 23.87, and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.06.
“He looked good doing this,” trainer Ed Barker said. “He’s training with a purpose, I’ll tell you that. He’s really matured, he knows what he’s doing now.”
At 2, Shipsational won three of four starts, including the Bertram F. Bongard and Sleepy Hollow, both restricted stakes for New York-breds last fall at Belmont Park. Barker took Shipsational to Tampa Bay Downs for the winter where in February he finished second to Classic Causeway in the Sam F. Davis Stakes and then third to that same horse in the Tampa Bay Derby. He was being pointed to the Grade 1 Florida Derby when the injury occurred.
Barker said he hoped to have Shipsational ready for a race at Aqueduct during the first part of October.