Spa Horses Prepare for Travers Day Races

After arriving at Saratoga Race Course Thursday, Aug. 20 in advance of an anticipated start in the Priority One Jets Forego Stakes (gr. I) on the Aug. 29 Travers Stakes (gr. I) card, Good Friends Stable's multiple grade 1 winner Private Zone hit the main track after the renovation break Saturday morning Aug. 22, working four furlongs in :45 4/5 to record a bullet for all horses at the distance.

"I clocked him in :45 and change," said trainer Jorge Navarro. "The exercise rider was just sitting on him but the horse is doing well. I thought it was going to be a deeper track, but he seems to like it."

Although the 6-year-old gelding has yet to race at Saratoga, he has shown an affinity for the NYRA circuit, winning the Cigar Handicap (gr. I) at Aqueduct Racetrack, Vosburgh Invitational Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park, and most recently the Belmont Sprint Championship (gr. III) on July 4.

"He seems to like New York. He runs well up here so we're ready." said Navarro.

Meanwhile Honors Stable Corp.'s multiple graded stakes winner Wildcat Red tuned up for the Forego with a half-mile breeze Saturday.

Jockey Jose Lezcano, who will ride Wildcat Red in the seven-furlong Forego, was aboard the D'wildcat   colt for the work.

"Jose said everything went great. He was very happy with him," said Nick Galati, assistant to Gulfstream Park-based trainer Jose Garoffalo. "Red was Red. We couldn't be happier.

"Jose (Garoffalo) told him to go in a minute and change," he said. "I think he would have been even happier if he went in 1:01 or even a minute flat, but it's OK. He worked very good. I thought he did it within himself, and I'm very happy with the way he cooled out."

Fifth in the King's Bishop last summer at Saratoga, Wildcat Red was working for the first time over the main track since arriving Wednesday afternoon from Monmouth Park, where he won the Teddy Drone Stakes Aug. 2.

"I looked up and he was already gone. I didn't clock him myself, but I saw him the whole way and he looked very good," Galati said. "He was very tough to pull up. He was trying his best. It's like tugging on an anvil sometimes."

Other horses eyeing the Forego are Bourbon Courage, Race Day, Salutos Amigos, Tamarkuz, The Big Beast, and Viva Majorca.

Also Saturday, trainer Dallas Stewart confirmed that Unbridled Forever, impressive comeback winner of the Shine Again Stakes Aug. 5 off a nine-month layoff, will make her next start in the $500,000 Ballerina Stakes (gr. I) on the Travers undercard. Both races are at seven furlongs; Stewart had also considered the $750,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I) at 1 1/8 miles the same day.

"She's doing super," he said. "We'll go to the Ballerina. With just one race this year, I just don't know that she's ready for a mile and an eighth yet. She ran well and came back good, but we're coming back in three weeks so we'll just stay with the same distance."

Champion 3-year-old filly Untapable worked on the main track Saturday morning in advance of the Personal Ensign.

The daughter of Tapit   is coming off a second-place finish in the Aug. 2 Shuvee Handicap (gr. III), when she finished a length behind Stopchargingmaria, who is 4-for-5 at the Spa.

"I was very pleased with her work," said Steve Asmussen, who trains Untapable for Ron Winchell. "She's trained really well since the Shuvee. The track and the weather were ideal this morning and I thought she responded nicely."

Through four starts this year, Untapable has failed to recapture the form that earned her championship honors in 2014, but Asmussen anticipates a strong effort forthcoming from his filly, who won last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), in addition to three other grade I events.

"I was disappointed she got beat in the Shuvee, but I feel like she's trained really well here since and expect a huge race from her in the Personal Ensign," he said.

Asmussen also reported that Just Wicked exited her win in the Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga in good shape and will breeze next week for the first time since the race.

Trainer Todd Pletcher worked a trio of horses pointing to the Sept. 5 $600,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) at the end of the meet.

Whitney Stakes (gr. I) runner-up Liam's Map returned to the track for his first serious work since he was run down by Honor Code in the shadow of the wire of the meet's co-richest race. Liam's Map went a half-mile in :48.25 on the main track in preparation for the Sept. 5 Woodward.

"He seems to have bounced out of the Whitney really well. He's been training great and worked well this morning. He seems full of himself," said Pletcher.

Pletcher also worked multiple graded stakes winner Protonico and Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (gr. II) victor Coach Inge in advance of the Woodward. Protonico is likely to enter the Woodward off wins in the Grade II Alysheba Stakes and Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes, but has not raced since May 1.

Coming off a third-place finish in the Suburban Handicap (gr. II), Coach Inge is probable to make his first appearance in a grade I race in the Woodward with only two prior graded stakes attempts under his belt.

Though Liam's Map and Coach Inge have overlapping styles, Pletcher does not envision the two will hook up early in the 1 1/8-mile race.

"I think the one thing we learned in the Brooklyn is Coach Inge doesn't need to be on the lead to be effective," he said. "Assuming that everyone starts that we think is going to start, I would imagine Liam's Map is the most likely pacesetter and Coach Inge would be in a stalking position."

Constitution, last seen winning the Donn Handicap (gr. I) Feb. 7 at Gulfstream Park, continued to work toward a comeback, going six furlongs in 1:14.20 on the main track. The 4-year-old Tapit colt has been breezing steadily at Saratoga since early July for his return to the races.

"He worked well," said Pletcher. "He seems like he's rounding back into form and we have him penciled in for the Lukas Classic at Churchill [Downs]."

Also on the work tab for Pletcher were Competitive Edge and Rachel's Valentina. Competitive Edge went a half-mile in 48.68 in advance of the $500,000 King's Bishop (gr. I) on Travers Day. Rachel's Valentina, the second foal out of Rachel Alexandra, logged her second timed move since making a successful Spa debut Aug. 2.

"I'm very happy with her," Pletcher said. "She seems to have made progress since her maiden win and is on schedule for the (Sept. 5) Spinaway Stakes (gr. I).”