Tonalist, Noble Bird Among Whitney Workers

Several Whitney (gr. I) contenders drilled July 31 for the upcoming $1.25 million race next weekend at Saratoga Race Course, including 2014 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Tonalist, who put in his final serious work.

 

Tonalist breezed five furlongs at Saratoga's Oklahoma training track, clocking 1:02.55.

 

"It was a nice work, usual story," said trainer Christophe Clement, who trains Tonalist for Robert S. Evans. "His previous two works were in company, but today he worked on his own. I thought he worked well; he galloped out in 1:15 flat."

 

Since winning last year's Belmont, when he upset California Chrome's Triple Crown bid, Tonalist has had highs and lows. The 4-year-old son of Tapit   finished a disappointing third in the grade I Travers after pressing a fast pace, but took the grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup from off the pace in his next start. He closed out his 3-year-old season with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I).

 

In 2015, Tonalist returned better than ever, dispelling the notion he's more stamina than speed with a win in the Westchester (gr. III) and a strong runner-up finish in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), both at one mile. 

 

"I really think from a mile on he can run with the best," said Clement. "People thought after he won the Belmont he's a mile-and-a-half horse. Well, he finished second in the Met Mile, so he's not a mile-and-a-half horse. He showed pretty good speed. He's a very good horse, that's what it is."

 

In his most recent start, the Suburban Handicap (gr. I) July 4, Tonalist made a wide, premature move into a fast pace under John Velazquez. The bay colt dug in gamely but had to settle for second, a head behind Effinex.

 

According to Clement, Velazquez will get the return call aboard Tonalist in next 1 1/8-mile Whitney, set for Aug. 8.

 

"He's won 21 graded stakes this year, and I think he's won six or seven of them for us," Clement of Velazquez. "We've been pretty lucky with him since he rode Irish Mission for us here last year. I think there's enough pace for him to be comfortable, just to be comfortable the first part and Johnny will work it out.

 

"It's exciting, it's going to be a very good race," Clement added. "For once, he might not be the only top weight. It's the usual steps: Get him there, get him to feel as good as possible, and try our best."

 

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens also logged workouts Thursday and Friday for Whitney probables V. E. Day and Wicked Strong. 

 

Magalen Bryant's V. E. Day put in his final work for the race with a six-furlong breeze over Saratoga's main track. 

 

Winless since his 19-1 upset of last year's Travers, the 4-year-old English Channel   colt was clocked in 1:14.03, galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27, trainer Jimmy Jerkens said.

 

V. E. Day was third, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, in the grade III Fort Marcy to open 2015 off a six-month layoff. Last time out, he came up a neck short of Coach Inge in the Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II) June 6.

 

"He looked good," said Jerkens. "He certainly isn't over-raced. It's only going to be his third start of the year. We weren't really planning on that, but it just worked out that way. We're hoping he can finish out the year strong."

 

Wicked Strong lost to his stablemate by a nose in last year's Travers. Owned by Centennial Farms, the 4-year-old son of Hard Spun   breezed five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 Thursday on the main track. 

 

"He's doing good," said Jerkens. "He went good; just what we wanted. He's right on track."

 

Wicked Strong won the TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) last April before running fourth in both the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Belmont Stakes. This year, he finished third in the Excelsior (gr. III) and fifth in the Met Mile before a runner-up effort in the Forbidden Apple Stakes July 11 at Belmont in his turf debut.

 

"It's been a little frustrating," said Jerkens. "The Excelsior was disappointing. It looked like he should have won that, and in the Met he kind of got creamed leaving there. I thought the last race on turf, I don't know if he particularly liked it that much but he showed good guts to be second. I think he's starting to rise back up again."

 

V.E. Day is unbeaten at Saratoga, having won last year's Curlin Stakes prior to the Travers. Wicked Strong captured the Jim Dandy (gr. II) last summer.

 

"They're both doing good. I like how they're doing," said Jerkens. "They did well here last year, that's for sure. It's more coincidence than anything, but there's been a lot of horses in the past that seemed to do a little better up here. Those two seem to do good up here."  

 

John Oxley's Noble Bird, a winner of three of his last four starts, including the Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) last time out, breezed a maintenance half-mile on Friday for the Whitney.

 

Working on the main track in company with grade III-placed stablemate Coastline, Noble Bird went four furlongs in :48.88 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, his regular rider. 

 

"I don't think he could have worked any better," trainer Mark Casse said. "I worked him with another horse that's very talented. He broke off a couple lengths behind and he wanted to run him down at any point. He came home the last quarter in :24 and we shut him down right after the wire. 

 

"The only thing we did was make him mad," he said. "When we got him back to the barn, the hotwalker that walks him every day said, 'What did you do to him? You should have let him do more.' He was pulling her around." 

 

It was the third work for Noble Bird, a 4-year-old son of Birdstone  , since arriving in Saratoga in mid-July. He went five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.09 on July 19 and covered the same distance in :59.90 July 25, second-fastest of 48 horses. 

 

"My son, Norman, is my main guy and assistant. He knows Noble Bird better than anybody. He knows him better than me, actually," Casse said. "We both looked at each other and said, 'I think he likes Saratoga better than anywhere else.' I find a lot of our horses struggle with Saratoga, the track, but he looks to me like he's thriving over it. 

 

"We had his big work last week and he worked exceptionally well," he added. "It was in the fog, so we only got to see a little bit of the last part of it. Shaun's been on him forever. He works him pretty well, and last week his comment was the horse has never felt better. He was on him again today and he was just raving about how we'll he's training. That makes you feel good."