Mohaymen Cuts Back to Sprint in King's Bishop

Shadwell Stable's homebred Mohaymen, a four-time grade II winner, will cut back to one turn for the first time since last November in the $500,000 Ketel One King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-olds Aug. 27 at Saratoga Race Course.

The seven-furlong King's Bishop is the eighth race on a 13-race Saturday card that features the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (gr. I), which had been the target for Mohaymen. But his connections, including Shadwell owner Sheikh Hamdan, decided to race the Tapit colt in a sprint.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he prefers to send the colt seven furlongs at this stage, and he also said a victory in the King's Bishop is very good for a potential stallion's resume.

Mohaymen, who broke his maiden at six furlongs in his career debut and then won the one-turn-mile Nashua Stakes (gr. II) last November, enters the King's Bishop off of a troubled fourth-place finish in the July 30 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II), which was won by the maiden Laoban. Before that he was fourth in both the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and the Florida Derby (both gr. I).

Mohaymen, the 123-pound highweight under Junior Alvarado, prefers to rate a bit for the first half-mile and then make his move. There is no lack of early speed among the other 12 horses entered in the King's Bishop, which could play to Mohaymen's advantage.

Trainer Bob Baffert has entered two colts for their stakes debuts: Charles Chu's Drefong (Gio Ponti  ), who has won his last three starts in California by a combined 18 1/4 lengths, and Zayat Stables' Jazzy Times (Discreetly Mine), who is two-for-four. Both have set fast early fractions in their limited number of starts.

Jeff Drown's Summer Revolution, a Summer Bird colt who created a buzz with easy victories in a Belmont Park maiden special weight event and a Saratoga entry-level allowance race this summer, will attempt to remain undefeated in his third start for trainer Rudy Rodgriguez. Both of his wins have come at seven furlongs.

Also in the King's Bishop are the first three finishers in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes (gr. II) in June at Belmont: GMB Racing's Tom's Ready (More Than Ready  ), Martin Racing Stable's Fish Trappe Road (Trappe Shot  ), and Calumet Farm's Star Hill (Elusive Quality  ).

Tom's Ready, trained by Dallas Stewart, went from last to first in a 12-horse field in the Woody Stephens and has been working steadily at Saratoga for his return. Bret Calhoun-trained Fish Trappe Road subsequently won the one-turn-mile Dwyer Stakes (gr. III) while Star Hill stretched out to 1 1/8 miles and finished third in the Indiana Derby (gr. II) in his last start.