Wilkes sends out two for Travers works

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three potential starters for the Grade 1 Travers worked over the main track here Monday, including Ulanbator and Viva Majorca from the barn of trainer Ian Wilkes.

Ulanbator, who finished fifth after racing forwardly placed in the Jim Dandy, was the first to work, breezing an easy five furlongs in 1:03.39 after loping through an opening three-eighths 39.03 seconds. Ulanbator galloped out extremely well, completing six furlongs into the turn in 1:16.19 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:30.01.

“I wanted him to have a longer, lighter work and then let him gallop out, and I thought he did it nicely,” Wilkes said. “I didn’t see any real excuse for him in the Jim Dandy and he might be a little behind those horses at the moment, but he’s coming.”

Wilkes sent out Viva Majorca to breeze after the break with jockey Julien Leparoux aboard. The lightly raced 3-year-old zipped four furlongs in 46.90 before galloping out five-eighths in 1:00.14. In the 1 1/8-mile Curlin here on July 25, Viva Majorca encountered traffic and rallied mildly to finish fourth when making his stakes and two-turn debut, and Wilkes thinks the extra distance of the 1 1/4-mile Travers will suit him.

“I was looking for a little more out of this horse today and I thought he worked as well as a horse could work this morning,” Wilkes said. “We’re going to look at the Travers for him as well. He’ll be giving up a little in seasoning, but he’s just so talented, and when you have that much talent you can overcome a lot.”

Kid Cruz, a troubled third in the Jim Dandy behind Wicked Strong and Tonalist, went five furlongs from the half-mile pole in 1:02.43 in company with stablemate Charitable before galloping out six furlongs around the turn in 1:15.40.

“He seems to enjoy working in company and it was just a nice, easy breeze,” trainer Linda Rice said. “He had sort of an odd trip in the Jim Dandy – it was kind of an ugly race – but he did show some life at the end. I had thought about skipping the Jim Dandy coming off his wins in the Easy Goer and Dwyer and just training up to the Travers. But being that race is at a mile and one quarter, I felt he’d be better off having a race and that he would show us enough to deserve a chance in the Travers, which he did.”

Rice has won a Grade 1 race at the meet with Palace, who rallied to capture the Alfred G. Vanderbilt earlier this month. Rice said she is considering either the Forego here on Aug. 30 or the Vosburgh at Belmont for his next start.

“Both races are Win and You’re Ins for the Breeders’ Cup, which is our long-term goal,” Rice said. “The Vosburgh is at six furlongs, which I think is better for him, but we’ll see how trains over the next couple of weeks. It’s tough to walk away from a Grade 1 and a big purse if the horse is doing well.”