Upstart, Madefromlucky breeze for Pennsylvania Derby

ELMONT, N.Y. – Upstart and Madefromlucky, two of the top contenders for the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing, worked Saturday in New York.

The 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby will be run next Saturday.

Upstart, the winner of the Grade 2 Holy Bull last winter, has finished fourth in the Travers and third in the Haskell Invitational in his two most recent races.

Madefromlucky won the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby last time out Aug. 1. He accounted for the Grade 2 Peter Pan in May at Belmont.

Their works come two days after Frosted, the possible Pennsylvania Derby favorite, worked a half-mile in 47.95 seconds over the main track at Saratoga. Frosted finished third in the Travers after dueling with American Pharoah to midstretch of the 1 1/4-mile race.

On Saturday at Aqueduct, trainer Rick Violette worked Upstart a half-mile from the three-eighths pole. Violette said he timed Upstart in 47 4/5 seconds, with a five-furlong gallop-out time of "a minute and high change or 1:01."

New York Racing Association clockers officially credited Upstart with a five-furlong work in 1:01.61, with fractions of 35 4/5 and 48 seconds.

"He went awfully easy," Violette said. "He seems to have cooled out fine. If there are no hiccups, we're going to the Pennsylvania Derby."

Ralph Evans, who owns Upstart in partnership with WinStar Farm, was on hand for the work. Evans purchased Upstart for $130,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale of 2013.

"If we do run, we are going to put him away for the rest of the year and hopefully have a good 4-year-old," Evans said.

At Belmont Park, the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Madefromlucky and Tommy Macho worked a half-mile in 47.93 seconds in company, with Tommy Macho on the outside a head better at the finish. Both are expected to run in the Pennsylvania Derby. The pair galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.92 and six furlongs in 1:13.89.

“I thought they both breezed well, pretty much head-to-head, a good breeze for both,” said Byron Hughes, the Belmont Park-based assistant to Pletcher.

Other expected starters for the Pennsylvania Derby include Gimme Da Lute, the winner of the El Cajon at Del Mar for Bob Baffert last out; West Virginia Derby and Smarty Jones runner-up Souper Colossal; Mr. Z; Iron Fist; Tale of Verve; and War Story.

The Pennsylvania Derby card also includes the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles; the Grade 3, $300,000 Gallant Bob, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds; and two other stakes. The races will be drawn Monday.

Pletcher on Saturday also worked a pair of 3-year-old fillies for possible starts in the Cotillion. Don’tforgetaboutme, a recent allowance winner at Monmouth, worked a half-mile in 48.93 under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Eskenformoney, second in the Monmouth Oaks, worked a half-mile in 48.36 seconds in company with Jack Milton.

The Cotillion also could draw either I'm a Chatterbox or White Clover from the barn of Larry Jones; Alabama winner Embellish the Lace; last year's champion 2-year-old filly, Take Charge Brandi; Delaware Oaks winner Calamity Kate; Monmouth Oaks winner Delightful Joy; Tara's Tango; and Wonder Gal.

– additional reporting by David Grening