Keen Ice, Destin Tune Up for Jockey Club Gold Cup

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent grade 1 winner Keen Ice  and stablemate Destin to the Belmont Park training track Sept. 30 in preparation for the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) Oct. 7. The pair worked in tandem and covered four furlongs in :48 3/5.

Jose Ortiz was aboard Keen Ice and exercise rider Hector Ramos piloted Destin. Both remain on target for the 1 1/4-mile race that is a qualifier for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

Donegal Racing's Keen Ice—the winner of the July 8 Suburban Stakes (G2), runner-up behind Gun Runner in the Whitney Stakes (G1), and a son of Curlin —once again followed through on his customary strong morning work habit.

"It's kind of what we've been accustomed to seeing from him," Pletcher said. "(A) good, solid work and a very strong gallop out. It seemed like he was into it from the beginning to the end. I had :12 flat, :23 3/5, :48 1/5, 1:01 2/5, 1:14 4/5, and 1:28 4/5."

Twin Creek Racing Stable's Destin has only two starts since last summer's Travers Stakes (G1), where he finished ninth. The son of Giant's Causeway  returned in May and finished third against open allowance company at Belmont, then returned to win by a nose at that level at Saratoga Race Course. The victory was his first since he won the  2016 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

"He's not an overzealous workhorse. (He) kind of does what he has to do," Pletcher said. "He isn't as powerful of a gallop-out horse as Keen Ice is, but he's trained well enough, and hopefully we'll put a few races under his belt, and he'll rally back into top form."