Laoban Targets Travers; Mohaymen Possible
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Laoban wins July 30 Jim Dandy Stakes
McCormick Racing and Southern Equine Stable's Laoban, who earned his first victory with a 27-1 upset in the July 30 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II), will be pointed to the Aug. 27 Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course.
"Everything's good," trainer Eric Guillot said the morning of July 31. "It's the horseracing business. You've always got to go day-to-day with these animals, but (the Travers) is my long-term plan."
The Uncle Mo colt made his first two starts at 2 in maiden company, but since then has competed in six graded stakes. Before the Jim Dandy, his best finish was a second in the Gotham Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack in early March.
Meanwhile, Shadwell Stable's Mohaymen, the Tapit colt who stumbled at the start of the Jim Dandy and finished fourth as the favorite, could also go in the Travers, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.
"(Shadwell vice president Rick Nichols) said as long as he looks OK, we can look at the Travers," McLaughlin said. "But he has to be OK and keep going. He has just been a little disappointing and a bit of a puzzle for us to try to figure out. That's what we're going to try to do. He looked good this morning."