Texas Red among Jim Dandy workers Saturday

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three potential starters for the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on Aug. 1 worked on Saturday, including reigning Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion Texas Red, who was the last horse to breeze over a slower-than-usual main track at Saratoga.

With exercise rider Emilia Harris aboard, Texas Red came out after 9:30 a.m. to work over a chewed-up racetrack, barely getting out of an open gallop early before finishing with some interest down the stretch. He was officially credited with a half-mile in 51.40.

“We were really happy with that,” said Julie Clark, assistant to trainer Keith Desormeaux. “He’s not one who is super aggressive in the morning, and we felt like he really needed that this morning. It gave him a chance to get used to the racetrack, and he came out of it perfect.”

Clark explained why Texas Red was the last horse to work over the main track here Saturday.

“We sent him out late because we had two fillies to work this morning who are in opening weekend, and we wanted to get them out first,” said Clark.

Materiality and Tencendur both worked five furlongs earlier in the morning. Materiality, going in company with fellow Belmont Stakes starter Madefromlucky, went in 1:03.39 while finishing about a length behind and under a bit more pressure than his stablemate.

Tencendur completed the distance in 1:01.44 under Cindy Weaver, the wife of trainer George Weaver, a very sharp move considering the condition of the main track, finishing a length better and under less urging than Shadow Rider.

“The track was a good two seconds slow,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Materiality. “When I walked on it at 5:30 this morning, I saw they had back-raked it. We worked a set on it, and it seemed safe, just slow. So, with the potential of more rain in the forecast, I thought we needed to stick to our schedule. He worked okay.

“It just makes it a little hard to get a good gauge on things when the track is two seconds slower than it was 24 hours ago. But it is what it is, we’re on schedule, and I didn’t see anything this morning that wouldn’t move us forward to the next one.”

Pletcher said Madefromlucky is being pointed for the West Virginia Derby.

Weaver said that although the Haskell Invitational remains a possibility for Tencendur’s next start, the Jim Dandy is the most likely option.

“Everything is open to change depending upon how the fields shape up, but if they look the way they do now, and we’re still happy with him, the Jim Dandy is our first preference.”

Weaver said he was very pleased with the way his horse worked Saturday.

“I thought the track was a little heavy, but we wanted him to go in around 1:01, and that’s what he did,” said Weaver. “And Cindy was very happy with him. He’ll have one more work and we’ll be ready to go.”

Two other potential Jim Dandy starters, Frosted and Upstart, worked on Friday. Frosted breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:01.90 at Saratoga, while Upstart, idle since finishing last in the Kentucky Derby, went a mile in 1:40.20 at Aqueduct for trainer Rick Violette.