Early Voting Remains Under Consideration for Travers

A week ago, trainer Chad Brown said he was undecided on whether or not Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Early Voting  would run in the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 27 at Saratoga Race Course.

After watching the son of Gun Runner   work a half-mile in :49.77 on the main track Aug. 13, he still wasn't ready to commit the colt to a run in the Midsummer Derby, but he sure is more optimistic about doing it.

"I thought Early Voting was really moving over the track today," Brown said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. "He is very much in consideration for the Travers after that work."

Early Voting, owned by Klaravich Stables, was ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, his regular pilot, in the breeze. He worked in company with stablemateAccretive , who is being pointed to the $500,000 H Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) on Travers Day.

If Early Voting does not run in the Travers, his likely landing spot would be the Sept. 24 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing.

Early Voting finished fourth in his latest start, the July 30 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga. That was his first start since his Preakness win on May 21.

"If he's doing really well, I don't see a reason to give him another layoff—an eight-week layoff—to wait for the Pennsylvania Derby," Brown said. "He was off a 10-week layoff and I am wondering if he needed a race, Maybe I didn't have him that fit off the Preakness. These horses are different. He's a big, heavy horse that eats and sleeps all day. That's what he does."

Brown also worked his other Travers contenders, Jeff Drown's Zandon , and Juddmonte's Artorius . Zandon, the runner-up in the Jim Dandy, worked a half-mile in 49.77 and Artorius, the Curlin Stakes winner, went a half in :50.09.

One other Travers contender, the Brad Cox-trained Cyberknife , worked five furlongs in 1:01.05 in company with 4-year-old Supremacy . The son of Gun Runner,  who is owned by Gold Square, won the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) in his last start.