SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fierceness, runner-up in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, returned to the work tab Friday morning, covering a half-mile in 48.67 seconds over Saratoga’s main track.

Fierceness worked outside of Classic Catch, going his first quarter in 24.96 and his second in 23.71 while finishing a length in front and galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.59.

“He was moving well, looked good. I had him reel him in on the gallop-out after the five-eighths,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I felt pretty good where he was and feel even better after the work.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Less than two weeks after winning the Grade 3 Ohio Derby, Mo Plex returned to the work tab Friday morning with a strong half-mile in 47.51 seconds over Saratoga’s main track. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Mo Plex got his final three furlongs in 35.20 seconds and galloped out a strong five furlongs in 1:00.91 before pulling up six furlongs in 1:14.69.

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart is debating between the Jim Dandy on July 26 or the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 19 for his horse’s next start.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Following a slow workout last week that may have been more a by-product of track condition than anything else, Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, picked up the pace Friday morning, working a half-mile in 48.68 seconds over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for an expected start in the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes here on July 26.

Since winning her debut at Presque Isle Downs last July, Icona Mama has raced creditably against open company across five different states in the east. She returns to Erie, Pa., in Monday’s $75,000 Malvern Rose Stakes, where she is back with statebred 3-year-old fillies in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint.

Icona Mama won her debut sprinting on Presque Isle’s synthetic track, then promptly hit the road. She finished second in Saratoga’s off-the-turf Bolton Landing to Kimchi Cat, who runs Sunday in the Pea Patch at Ellis Park.

Between the time of his winning career debut last July and even through a tame 3-year-old bow in the Dante Stakes on May 15, The Lion In Winter held antepost favoritism for the Derby at Epsom Downs.

The Lion In Winter did make the Derby – but that’s about all that can be said of his performance June 7. Sixth in the Dante at odds-on, The Lion In Winter finished 14th in the Derby at 7-1, and on Sunday at Deauville Racecourse a colt broadly assumed to suit 1 1/2-mile racing gets cut back to a sprint distance in the Prix Jean Prat.

Vodka With a Twist and Kimchi Cat both have proven stakes form, but they are trying turf for the first time in Sunday’s $150,000 Pea Patch Stakes, a sprint for 3-year-old fillies at Ellis Park. One would question the value of taking a short price on them. Meanwhile, some in this field with turf wins lack stakes form or recency, which perhaps makes the pair an overlay in this group.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – There’s plenty of promise in the pipeline for Airdrie Stud, which has a young and growing stallion roster. Some of the stallions will have a coming-out party at Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky July yearling sale.

Happy Saver and Highly Motivated are represented by their first yearlings, while Girvin and Upstart have crops from turning points in their respective careers represented at the July 8 sale at Fasig-Tipton’s Newtown Paddocks.

“We’re very lucky right now,” Airdrie president Bret Jones said.

Three races removed from a minor stakes win, Vlahos starts in an allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos on Sunday with an excellent chance for a third career win.

The program is closing day of the Los Alamitos daytime summer meeting. Del Mar opens its summer meeting on July 18. There is no live daytime Thoroughbred racing in California on the weekend of July 12-13.

Extendo, far from disgraced finishing sixth on soft turf in the Grade 1 Jaipur last time out, could quickly return to his winning ways at Gulfstream Park on Sunday. The 5-year-old sprinter, trained by Joe Orseno, will switch back to synthetic as a strong contender in the $70,000 Successful Native Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There is no stakes race scheduled Sunday at Saratoga on what is technically closing day of the Belmont at Aqueduct spring/summer meet.

The feature on the 10-race card is a second-level allowance/optional $75,000 claiming event scheduled for 1 1/2 miles over the inner turf course. Many of these fillies and mares are coming out of stakes tries, hoping to use this supposed class drop as a way to get back to a meaningful race.