Tapwrit, Velazquez work half-mile in Whitney prep

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez have teamed up to win the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga three times. Next Saturday, they will seek a fourth victory with Tapwrit, a horse Velazquez will ride for the first time in the $1.2 million race.

On Saturday morning, Velazquez was aboard Tapwrit as he completed preparations for the Whitney with a half-mile workout in 49.01 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. Tapwrit worked in company with Village King, a Group 1 winner in Argentina who is about a month away from making his North America debut, according to Pletcher.

Tapwrit broke slightly off of Village King and tracked him through an opening quarter of 24.88 seconds. The two came home together in a final quarter of 24.13 and Tapwrit galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.60 and then six furlongs in 1:13.94, while pulling away from his workmate.

“I thought it was very good, finished up good, galloped out strongly,” Pletcher said. “Reeled him in a little bit after the three-quarters on the radio, thought it was sharp, good, seemed happy.”

Tapwrit finished fourth in the Suburban with a bit of a wide trip under jockey Jose Ortiz. Pletcher said he had not committed to a jockey for the Whitney and when he learned Ortiz had taken the mount on Good Samaritan for the Whitney, he got Velazquez.

Velazquez and Pletcher first won the Whitney in 2002 with Left Bank. They won it in 2007 with Lawyer Ron and in 2013 with Cross Traffic.
Velazquez views the older male division as wide open and hopes he’s found his prospect for the second half of the year.

“He breezed good, he’s doing good, hopefully he shows up,” Velazquez said.

A field of seven is expected for the Whitney when entries are taken and post positions assigned on Tuesday at a gathering at Sperry’s, a downtown Saratoga Springs restaurant.

The expected, field with riders, is: Backyard Heaven (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Dalmore (Javier Castellano), Discreet Lover (Manny Franco), Good Samaritan (Jose Ortiz), McCraken (Brian Hernandez Jr.), Mind Your Biscuits (Joel Rosario), and Tapwrit (John Velazquez).