Uncle Chuck gears up for Travers with smart Del Mar work

DEL MAR, Calif. – Authentic is in in the Kentucky Derby. Uncle Chuck is trying to get there. Two days after his colt Authentic won the Haskell to earn the right to move on to the Derby, trainer Bob Baffert on Monday morning here at Del Mar sent out Uncle Chuck for an eye-catching workout as the exciting, late-developing colt continues to progress toward the Travers on Aug. 8 at Saratoga.

Working just after the first renovation break at 6:30 a.m., Uncle Chuck, with exercise rider Juan Ochoa aboard, broke off prior to the five-furlong pole and worked alone past the wire down to the seven-furlong pole, earning an official six-furlong time of 1:13.40. He continued to gallop out another furlong with a long, fluid stride indicative of a horse who won’t be hampered going 1 1/4 miles, the distance of the Travers and the Derby.

“Effortless” was the word Baffert used to succinctly describe the drill. “He’s got a big, long stride. He’s a galloper.”

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Uncle Chuck is being asked to come a long ways in a short amount of time. He won his debut June 12 at Santa Anita, then returned July 4 to win the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby, defeating stablemate Thousand Words.

Baffert loading up for Spa

Uncle Chuck is part of a large group of locally based runners pointing to stakes in coming weeks at Saratoga, most of them trained by Baffert.

Gamine, winner of the Grade 1 Acorn in her last start, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 on Sunday and is headed to the Grade 1 Test on Aug. 8.

McKinzie, in his first work since finishing fifth in the Met Mile on July 4, worked five furlongs in company on Monday in 1:00.60 and could travel again to New York for either the Whitney on Aug. 1 or the Woodward on Sept. 5.

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Eight Rings, winner last year of the Grade 1 American Pharoah, worked five furlongs in company in 1:00.40 on Monday in preparation for the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens going seven furlongs on Aug. 1, which would be only his second start since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

“His mind is good now,” Baffert said, crediting the job assistant Mike Marlow did with Eight Rings during June at Los Alamitos, where he worked four times.

Among those who could join Eight Rings in the Jerkens is Collusion Illusion, whom trainer Mark Glatt sent out for a five-furlong work in 1:00.20 on Saturday. Collusion Illusion also is under consideration for the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar, also Aug. 1.

Factors for Glatt to consider are that the Jerkens is seven furlongs against 3-year-olds only, while the Crosby is six furlongs against older runners, meaning Collusion Illusion would get a weight break. But Glatt also has the older sprinter Law Abidin Citizen pointing to the Crosby.

“The plan right now is to go to New York with Collusion Illusion,” Glatt said Monday morning. “He’ll be nominated to the Crosby. That’s on the table, too.”

Collusion Illusion won both his starts last summer at Del Mar. He is 4 for 5 overall, his only loss coming when he was eased in the American Pharoah. He is 2 for 2 this year since returning from a 7 1/2-month layoff.

The Bing Crosby could include the outstanding California-bred sprinter Fashionably Fast, who worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Monday morning for trainer Dean Pedersen.