Stay Thirsty, Overdriven continue to make progress

Owner Mike Repole’s pair of Travers winner Stay Thirsty and the undefeated 3-year-old Overdriven both continue to progress towards their 2012 debuts at Palm Meadows with trainer Todd Pletcher. Both horses turned in their first half-mile breezes since returning to training earlier this winter, with Stay Thirsty going in 50.70 in company with stablemate Colizeo and Overdriven four furlongs in 51.40.

“They’re not quite there yet,” said Pletcher. “If all continues to go well, both should be ready to run sometime in May.”

Pletcher is pointing Stay Thirsty for primarily a New York campaign at 4. Aside from the Travers, Stay Thirsty also won the Jim Dandy at Saratoga and finished second in the Belmont. Overdriven was perfect in two starts at 2 that included an easy win in the Grade 2 Sanford.

* Force Freeze, working for the first time since his 3 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship on Feb. 18, went a leisurely half-mile in 49.18 seconds at Gulfstream on Saturday. Force Freeze, who is not expected to start again until the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Handicap on May 5, completed his last quarter in 24.32 before galloping out five-eighths in 1:02.51 under the watchful eye of trainer Peter Walder.