Violette Undecided on Travers for Upstart

Though pleased with how his horse is doing, trainer Rick Violette remains undecided whether to start Ralph Evans and WinStar Farm's Upstart in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course.

"My horse continues to do great. He's not telling me not to run," Violette said. "I really keep waiting for some pivotal moment that will push me either way and it hasn't happened yet. Right now, I'm preparing him like we're going to run."

If he runs, Upstart will break from the rail in the 10-horse field with meet-leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard. Violette said the draw would not be a factor for Upstart, who is listed at 15-1 on the morning line.

JOHNSON: American Pharoah Draws Post 2 for Travers

"I actually like it," Violette said. "If we had drawn the 10-hole, that would have been a significant negative. I don't think any of us can overcome a less-than-perfect trip. The only horse that can is American Pharoah. He can have less than a perfect tour around there and probably still beat us, and the rest of us need to have everything go our way.

"The one-hole helps. We'll save ground the first turn and who knows what happens second turn."

Upstart has finished worse than third just once in nine starts, when he wound up last in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). He hooked up with American Pharoah again in the William Hill Haskell Invitational (gr. I), where he was third to the Triple Crown winner.

Last summer, Upstart broke his maiden at Saratoga in a romp and came back nine days later to win the Funny Cide Stakes, both against fellow New York-breds, before stepping up to graded company. If he doesn't wind up in the Travers, Violette has the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) at Parx Racing Sept. 19 as a backup plan.

"It's the real paradox," the conditioner said. "You're supposed to run horses when they're doing great, when they're moving well, eating well, happy, sound—and he's all of that. He has also run well over this racetrack and he has trained well.

"But, the other axiom is, you win a lot more races when you're 4-1 or less, and in three weeks, we'll be a lot less than 4-1 for a million dollars. If that race wasn't there, it'd be a no-brainer to run here, but it's also a business. It's a lot of money.

"We could run back in that spot, but it wouldn't be like pointing for that spot. There's a difference. That's the internal battle I'm still having."