V. E. Day, Wicked Strong Breeze for Gold Cup
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With an eye on the Sept. 27 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I), trainer Jimmy Jerkens had V. E. Day and Wicked Strong breeze over the Belmont Park training track Sept. 13.
Travers (gr. I) winner V. E. Day worked seven furlongs in 1:28.30 at approximately 8 a.m., with TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) victor Wicked Strong going six furlongs in 1:15.93 at 9:45 a.m.
Exercise rider Kelvin Pahal was aboard for both workouts.
In the Travers Aug. 23 at Saratoga Race Course, Magalen O. Bryant's V. E. Day closed with a rush to defeat Centennial Farms' Wicked Strong by a nose.
"V. E. Day went kind of faster than I wanted," said Jerkens. "The track was very fast after the first harrow, but, still, he looked great. We wanted to work (Wicked Strong) in the blinkers, but sometimes that keys them up too much, so we worked him in the middle of the track."
The $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and up will be contested at 1 1/4 miles on TVG "Super Saturday" at Belmont, a key prep weekend for the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park.