WAR OF WILL
Preakness winner War of Will breezed in company on Saturday over the Saratoga main track.
With Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, War of Will, breezed outside of Strike Silver, and overtook his stablemate while in hand. ‘WOW’ went five furlongs in 1:00.43 and was asked to gallop out-well in 12.96, stopping my watch in 1:12.39 for six furlongs. Strike Silver was clocked in 1:00.64.
War of Will is on course for the Jim Dandy on July 27, and Strike Silver is pointed to the Amsterdam on July 28.
Casse said War of Will is blossoming as he prepares for a summer campaign expected to include the Travers on August 24.
“He’s put on about 100 pounds and his color is really good. He doesn’t look like a horse that has been through the wars of the Triple Crown,” said Casse. “As long as he comes out of this happy and healthy and shows good energy, I think the Jim Dandy makes sense.”
TACITUS
Trainer Bill Mott sent multiple graded stakes winners Tacitus and Yoshida in tandem to breeze over the Oklahoma training track on Saturday.
Working in company, Tacitus completed the five-furlong breeze in 1:01 flat and Yoshida in 1:00.90.
Targeting a start in Jim Dandy, Tacitus posted his third breeze since finishing second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Mott said Tacitus has kept his good form since then.
“He’s pretty much about the same as we had him for the Belmont,” said Mott. “He was going good into that race and he’s continued to do so.”
Yoshida’s next start will be in the Whitney on August 3.
KING FOR A DAY
King for a Day, who defeated Maximum Security in the Pegasus at Monmouth Park, worked in 48.39 seconds over Oklahoma with John Velazquez aboard on Saturday.
King for a Day is headed back to Monmouth for the Haskell Invitational on July 20.
“That was a huge win for him to beat the horse who crossed the finish line first in the Kentucky Derby,” Pletcher said of the Pegasus.
“It’s a little better scheduling for the Travers now that the Haskell is moved forward eight days sooner than it used to be. So that gives him the possibility of coming back in the Travers if everything goes well,”
TAX
Tax breezed a half-mile at Oklahoma in 49.95 seconds Saturday in preparation for the Jim Dandy.
Trainer Danny Gargan said Tax is thriving since moving to upstate New York.
“He’s moving great. He’s doing better than he’s ever done right now,” said Gargan. “He worked fast last week and I just wanted to have an easy breeze this week and then we’ll bring him back next week and tighten him up.”
GLOBAL CAMPAIGN
Peter Pan winner Global Campaign breezed five furlongs in 1:01.16 Saturday over Saratoga’s main track for the Jim Dandy for trainer Stanley Hough.
“I thought he worked great and came back good,” Hough said of the colt’s second work of the month at Saratoga. “He cooled out good. It was a step in the right direction.”
JOEVIA
Joevia, third in the Belmont Stakes, worked five furlongs in 58.2 and was out in 11 and change on Saturday at Monmouth, according to trainer Greg Sacco.
Hector Diaz, Jr. rode in Joevia’s work and Jose Lezcano has the mount for the Haskell Invitational.
MUCHO GUSTO
The Bob Baffert-trained Mucho Gusto turned in his final Haskell work on Friday at Santa Anita, going six furlongs in 1:12.20. Baffert looks to extend his record number of Haskell victories to nine.
“If Maximum Security runs his race I think he will be tough,” Baffert said. “I thought he just got tired last time.”
MAXIMUM SECURITY
Monmouth Park-based Maximum Security, disqualified from first in the Kentucky Derby, is expected to put in his final work for the Haskell on Monday.
