Upstart pointing to Pennsylvania Derby

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Upstart came out of his fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes well enough that trainer Rick Violette is planning to run him back in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx on Sept. 19.

“I’m giving him every opportunity,” Violette said Friday at Saratoga. “He came out of the race pretty good. I’ll breeze him next weekend, and if we like what we see, we’ll go.”

Upstart finished fourth to Keen Ice in the Travers, beaten 5 1/2 lengths. Upstart finished behind American Pharoah in the Travers, Haskell Invitational and Kentucky Derby. Violette was wavering on whether to run him in the Travers, especially since he didn’t want to face Triple Crown winner American Pharoah again. But Violette was so happy with the way Upstart was training that he decided to run him. Violette also cited Upstart’s previous success at Saratoga, where he won a maiden race and the Funny Cide Stakes last summer.

Upstart stalked the pace from the inside in the Travers and the Haskell, and Violette believes he prefers to be outside of horses.

“We’ve been down in the inside twice in a row now,” said Violette. “He’ll do it, but it’s not something he relishes.”

Violette said he would ship Upstart back to Aqueduct on Tuesday and breeze him over that track, probably on Saturday.

Others pointing to the Pennsylvania Derby include Madefromlucky, the West Virginia Derby winner; Island Town, the Smarty Jones Stakes winner; Mr. Z, the Ohio Derby winner; and Far Right.