Tonalist works five furlongs in prep for Travers
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tonalist, the Belmont Stakes winner and the runner-up as the favorite in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, worked five furlongs in 1:03.21 on Saturday over the Oklahoma training track as he prepares for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes here Aug. 23.
Working in company with his usual partner, Life in Shambles, Tonalist began the move four lengths in front and went in early splits of 13.28 seconds for the first eighth and 25.55 for the opening quarter-mile. Life in Shambles came to Tonalist at the quarter pole, and the two went from that point to the wire in 24.52 seconds and then got an additional eighth in 13.26.
Tonalist, under Alvarado Hernandez, then galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.27 while moving away from Life in Shambles.
Assistant Christophe Lorieul oversaw the work for trainer Christophe Clement, who was in Italy attending the wedding of his goddaughter.
“Just an easy work since the race; he is hardly blowing,” Lorieul said. “The race did him a lot of good. He’s moving well, no problem. What I like was the gallop-out. He went away from the other horse. Nothing fancy today.”
Life in Shambles, who got a time of 1:02.61, is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Curlin Stakes here July 26. Plans for his next race are undetermined.