Tonalist sharp in breeze for Jockey Club Gold Cup

ELMONT, N.Y. – Coming off a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga, trainer Christophe Clement was toying with the idea of re-equipping Tonalist with blinkers for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. After watching Tonalist breeze a sharp five furlongs in 1:00.24 Saturday morning at Belmont Park without blinkers, Clement now has no plans to change equipment.

“Not now,” Clement said. “It’s difficult to me to have a better work than that. He finished very willingly. I’ll speak to [owner Robert] Evans to make sure he’s comfortable with it. As of now, we’ll run the way he just worked.”

Tonalist, with jockey John Velazquez up, worked in company shortly after 6:45 a.m. over Belmont’s main track. Tonalist appeared a bit eager going to the pole, but part of that had to with the fact workmate Life in Shambles was going too slowly.

The work started at the half-mile pole, and by that point, Life in Shambles was about two lengths clear of Tonalist. Tonalist went a quick quarter of 23.51 seconds, and turning into the stretch, Life in Shambles drifted off the rail a few paths, so Velazquez guided Tonalist to the inside.

“It wasn’t designed like that,” said Velazquez, who added he thought the work was very good. “It’s just that the other horse was getting out, so I said I’m going to go inside instead of trying to fight him going around that horse.”

The official clocking of the work went a furlong past the wire, but Tonalist continued on and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.25 and seven-eighths in 1:28.82.

“I thought it was nice,” Clement said. “He was settled. He finished strong. He looked well.”

Tonalist won last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup when Clement took the blinkers off. He has twice won races in his career, including this year’s Grade 3 Westchester, when he has had blinkers added.

Tonalist was one of several Jockey Club Gold Cup contenders to work Saturday.

Coach Inge and Wicked Strong, second and third, respectively, behind Liam’s Map in the Grade 1 Woodward, also worked. Coach Inge, working over the Belmont training track, went four furlongs in 48.61 in company with the 2-year-old Ready Dancer, who is pointing to next Saturday’s Grade 1 Champagne.

Coach Inge finished about a neck in front at the wire but proceeded to gallop out several lengths in front of Ready Dancer through five furlongs in 1:01.84 and six furlongs in 1:14.52.

“He’s a seasoned older horse that runs long very well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Ready Dancer has been training well, and I thought he worked really well. The gallop out wasn’t quite as strong as Coach Inge, but you wouldn’t expect it to be.”

Wicked Strong worked five furlongs in 1:00.26 by himself over the Belmont main track. He went a quick early three furlongs in 35.89 and came home in 24.37 seconds. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.70 and seven furlongs in 1:27.87. He worked in blinkers, equipment he has worn in his last nine races. He also worked with jockey Joel Rosario, who will ride him in the Gold Cup. Rosario rode him twice this year, a fifth in the Met Mile and a second in the Forbidden Apple on turf.

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens said he used the blinkers in the work because “we didn’t want him just to gallop around there.”

Wicked Strong is trying to break an eight-race losing streak dating back to last year’s Travers, in which he was beaten a nose by V. E. Day.

Jerkens also will run Effinex in the Jockey Club. That horse is scheduled to work Sunday.

Constitution, the Grade 1 Donn Handicap winner, worked five furlongs in 1:02.40 over the Oklahoma training track Saturday morning.

Other notable workers Saturday at Belmont

** Liam’s Map, the Grade 1 Woodward winner, went four furlongs in 49.31 over the Belmont training track. It was his first move since the Woodward.

Liam’s Map, working by himself under Javier Castellano, went off in a quick 23.71 before Castellano took a hold through the stretch. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.21.

“He’ll probably work as fast as horses work if you let him, but that wasn’t the objective today,” Pletcher said. “Just wanted to get him back in a routine; looking for an easy half, and I thought he did well.”

Liam’s Map will be one of about a dozen Pletcher horses, including Stopchargingmaria and Jack Milton, to ship Wednesday to Keeneland to continue preparations for the Breeders’ Cup.

** She’s All Ready, an undefeated New York-bred 2-year-old filly, worked a sharp five furlongs in 1:00.33 under jockey Junior Alvarado in preparation for the Grade 1 Frizette.

“We just wanted a nice breeze today. She had worked real fast nine days ago,” said trainer Jim Ryerson, referring to a half-mile in 58.40 seconds. “Today was really good. Junior had never been on her before. He'll ride Saturday. Kendrick [Carmouche] will be in Kentucky. It was fast, but that's how she goes.”

** Greenpointcrusader, pointing for the Grade 1 Champagne, went five furlongs in 1:00.85 over the main track.

** Red Vine, third to Beholder in the Pacific Classic, went five furlongs over the main track in 1:01.16, making up two lengths on a workmate. He is pointing to Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso Handicap

– additional reporting by Jim Dunleavy