Spring Quality in solid Sword Dancer work

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Spring Quality, winner of the Grade 1 Manhattan who was scratched out of the Arlington Million on Aug. 11, worked five furlongs in 1:02.50 Monday morning over the Oklahoma turf course in preparation for a start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga.

Spring Quality started two lengths behind stablemate Scholar Athlete and drew within a length after three furlongs in 38.78 seconds. The pair finished on even terms with Spring Quality shading 24 seconds in the final quarter.

“They finished up pretty good,” trainer Graham Motion said. “I thought it was a pretty nice work.”

Spring Quality had shipped from Motion’s base at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland to Chicago for the Aug. 11 Arlington Million, but developed an impaction and didn’t get over it until the day after the Million.

The horse shipped from Chicago to Saratoga, and last week he worked a slow five furlongs in 1:07.21 before Monday’s move.

Motion said he was planning to run Spring Quality in the Arlington Million because it was at the same 1 1/4-mile distance as the Manhattan at Belmont.

“I didn’t want to get too cute changing distances,” Motion said. “At the same time, there’s every indication he’s going to handle a mile and a half.”

The Sword Dancer field is expected to include Bigger Picture, Channel Maker, Funtastic, Hi Happy, Revved Up, and Vettori Kin. Glorious Empire, Manitoulin, and Seahenge are possible.