Wonder Gadot works half-mile in Travers Stakes tune-up

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Wonder Gadot tuned up for what her connections hope will be an historic run in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 25 when she worked a half-mile in 48.07 seconds over the Saratoga main track early Friday morning.

It was her first work since she won the Prince of Wales Stakes on July 24 at Fort Erie and the first since trainer Mark Casse declared her a starter in the Travers.

“She skipped over it, I thought,” Casse said.

Going out at 5:45 a.m., Wonder Gadot, under exercise rider Chris Garraway, went off her first eighth in 13.00 seconds. Casse, via walkie-talkie, told Garraway to pick it up, and Wonder Gadot went a half-mile in 24.18. She got her final quarter in 23.89 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.91, six furlongs in 1:14.86, and seven furlongs in 1:29.39.

“I said pick it up, and you saw what she did, then I told him slow down,” Casse said. “She went ahead and galloped out really well, too. She looks fantastic. She’s gotten over every surface pretty good. The only surface we felt she struggled with was” Fair Grounds.

Wonder Gadot is seeking to become the first filly to win the Travers since Lady Rotha in 1915. She will be the first filly to run in the Travers since Davona Dale finished fourth as the favorite in 1979.

There is no confirmed rider for Wonder Gadot for the Travers. John Velazquez has ridden her in seven of her last nine starts, including the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales. Velazquez also is the regular rider of Vino Rosso, the Wood Memorial winner who finished third in the Jim Dandy. Vino Rosso is trained by Velazquez’s main client, trainer Todd Pletcher.

In other Travers news, Axelrod, winner of the Grade 3 Indiana Derby on July 14, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 at Del Mar in anticipation of an expected start in the Travers. Axelrod, a son of Warrior’s Reward, is trained by Michael McCarthy.

Meanwhile, trainer Chad Brown confirmed that Joel Rosario would ride Gronkowski in the Travers. Jose Ortiz had ridden Gronkowski to a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes, but he is committed to ride multiple Grade 1 winner Good Magic in the Travers.

Others pointing to the Travers two weeks out are Bravazo, Catholic Boy, Hofburg, King Zachary, Mr Freeze, and Tenfold.