Tonalist sticking with Plan A

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tonalist, third in the Grade 1 Whitney last out, was briefly under consideration for Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, but ultimately his connections opted to stick to the plan and point him to the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Oct. 3.

Tonalist, who won last year’s Gold Cup, worked five furlongs in 1:01.98 on Thursday over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track.

Track clockers caught Tonalist in fractions of 12.80 seconds, 24.66, 49.03 and had him galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.45.

“He worked well, very happy with him,” trainer Christophe Clement said.

Clement said the Woodward “was tempting,” but that owner Ralph Evans wanted to have a fresh horse for the fall and “the two or three major races coming up.”

◗ Dacita, who rallied from well off the pace to run down Tepin and win the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes here on Travers Day, will make her next start in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl at Belmont Park on Oct. 3.

Trained by Chad Brown, Dacita will join Watsadachances and Stephanie’s Kitten, the one-two finishers in the Grade 1 Beverly D., in the Flower Bowl. A week earlier, Brown will be represented in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic by Big Blue Kitten and Slumber.