Texas Red among Travers workers Saturday

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While the potential star of the Grade 1 Travers was scheduled to audition on Sunday in California, several members of the Mid-Summer Derby’s supporting cast were in rehearsal mode Saturday morning at Saratoga.

Texas Red, Upstart, Keen Ice, and Madefromlucky all put in workouts Saturday designed to get them to the Travers on Aug. 29, when they may or may not be facing Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Texas Red, the winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes here Aug. 1, worked five furlongs in 1:01.72 under jockey Corey Lanerie. Texas Red went off in 37.08 seconds and came home in 24.64 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.89 and seven-eighths in 1:28.66.

“We liked that work. He didn’t come back blowing very hard,” said Julie Clark, assistant to trainer Keith Desormeaux. “Corey said he feels a little lazy, which he can be. You have to really let him know it’s work day or he’s happy to just gallop. [Lanerie] said when he asked him, he did pick it up a little bit. He said that last eighth felt really easy.”

Texas Red was finishing his work as Upstart was breaking off for a six-furlong work that was timed in 1:14.97. Upstart, under Rodney Paine, went his first three furlongs in 38.41 seconds and got his last three furlongs in 36.66. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:28.66.

“He runs well off of fast works, and I didn’t really want to work fast this week,” trainer Rick Violette said. “It helped to get a big three-quarter, out seven-eighths breeze and let him finish. We’ll probably come back with a quicker five-eighths next weekend.”

Upstart finished last to American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby and third to him in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Violette said he’s not sure he wants to run his horse against American Pharoah again. American Pharoah’s connections have not decided whether to run in the Travers. The colt was expected to work Sunday at Del Mar.

“I’m planning on running in the Travers and adjust if we decide not to,” Violette said. “I really want to run. He loves the racetrack, and I don’t want to wait another three weeks.”

Three weeks after the Travers is the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

Keen Ice, third to American Pharoah in the Belmont Stakes and second to him in the Haskell, worked five furlongs in 1:01.08. He went in company with Lulu Le’ Mon, finishing about five to six lengths ahead of that horse at the wire.

Javier Castellano, who will ride Keen Ice in the Travers, was aboard the horse for the first time Saturday.

"I liked the way he does it,” Castellano said. “He's got a big, long stride. The more distance, more ground, I think he's gonna get better. He doesn't have the quick acceleration; it takes a little while to get the momentum going forward. By the three-eighths pole, I started tapping a little bit and started to ask him, and he started going. He hit that stride and opened up."

Earlier in the morning, in the fog, Madefromlucky, the West Virginia Derby winner, worked four furlongs in 49.40 seconds in company with Competitive Edge, who ran fourth in the Haskell. Trainer Todd Pletcher said he’s not sure he wants to run Madefromlucky against American Pharoah a fourth time in the Travers.

Frosted, who worked Friday, is considered definite for the Travers. Tale of Verve, second to American Pharoah in the Preakness, is possible.