Tom's Ready eyes Grade 2 Kelso

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tom’s Ready, the winner of the Grade 2 Woody Stephens who finished ninth in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop, could make his next start in the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont on Oct. 8, trainer Dallas Stewart said. The Kelso is a one-turn mile and could be a stepping-stone to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Stewart said the King’s Bishop was a throw-out race in his mind.

“Scrap it,” Stewart said. “Pace was so slow, he was way, way wide, and he got caught up [in traffic] at the eighth pole. It was one thing after another.”

Stewart said Tom’s Ready would ship to Kentucky with the remainder of his string this week.

Time and Motion works slowly

Time and Motion, the winner of the Grade 2 Lake Placid on Aug. 21, worked a slow half-mile in 54.25 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course Saturday.

Trainer Jimmy Toner wasn’t looking for something that pedestrian but noted that exercise rider Steven Herrera was in the irons, as opposed to jockeys John Velazquez or Manny Franco, who have been breezing the 3-year-old filly.

“I just wanted to go a maintenance half-mile; that was a little more maintenance than I expected,” Toner said.

Time and Motion will be nominated to the Grade 2, $500,000 Sands Point at Belmont on Sept. 17, but Toner said she most likely will wait for the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 15.

Sore foot KO’d Pure Sensation

Pure Sensation, the winner of the Parx Dash and Jaipur in his last two starts, was forced to miss Monday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Turf Monster at Parx due to a sore foot, trainer Christophe Clement said.

Clement said Pure Sensation came out of his most recent work with an injury to the bottom of his foot, known as “shedding a frog,” and needed some time.

“It’s not a big deal, but it’s annoying because it cost us a race,” Clement said. “It was the perfect race for him because he loves firm ground.”

Clement said options for Pure Sensation include the inaugural Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at Belmont on Oct. 8 or the $150,000 Woodford at Keeneland the same day.

◗ Following Monday’s closing-day card at Saratoga, this circuit is dark until Friday, when Belmont opens for its 38-day fall meet. First post for the first day of the meet will be 1:30 p.m. Eastern.