Yessirgeneralsir to give sprint a spin

After Yessirgeneralsir set a rapid pace and finished eighth against top-class rivals in the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Aug. 7, some thought he should sprint in his next start. That will happen next month, said his trainer, Dallas Keen.

Yessirgeneralsir will shorten up from 1 1/8 miles to seven furlongs for the Grade 1, $250,000 Forego Handicap on Sept. 4.

Keen said Yessirgeneralsir was to fly from Lone Star Park to Saratoga on Wednesday.

"He's coming off a race there over that track in which he went three-quarters in 1:08 and change," said Keen. "He'd never even worked over it before. He's got tons of speed."

In the Whitney, Keen had hoped to see Yessirgeneralsir develop into a candidate for the Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run at Lone Star. Now, he said he could be thinking Sprint.

"We still have the Breeders' Cup in mind," said Keen, who trains Yessirgeneralsir for Jim Jackson. "We're looking at different options."

Robby Albarado, who rode Yessirgeneralsir to a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 107 in an allowance at Fair Grounds, has the mount on the horse in the Forego.

Earlier this year, Yessirgeneralsir wired the field in the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap at 1 1/16 miles. Kela, who finished fourth in that race, went on to win the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.

Yessirgeneralsir returned to his Lone Star base following the Whitney and worked five furlongs in 58.20 seconds there Monday.