MeB Racing, Brooklyn Boyz, Teresa Viola, St Elias, Siena Farm and West Point's Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), winner of the May 6 GI Kentucky Derby, worked a half mile in :49.45 over Belmont's training track Sunday morning. Without company for the morning move, the colt was ridden by Hector Ramos. Click here to view XBTV video.
“It was a good, relaxed work,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He seems to be happy. We'd been focused on having him chill out a little bit and I think we've made progress. We kind of backed off after the Preakness and gave him a few easy weeks.”
Pletcher confirmed Sunday that the colt is targeting the GII Jim Dandy S. at Saratoga July 29. Always Dreaming, who also annexed the Apr. 1 GI Florida Derby, finished eighth in his most recent start in the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico May 20.
Fellow Classic winner Bridlewood Farms, Eclipse Thoroughbreds and Bob LaPenta's Tapwrit (Tapit), victorious in the June 10 GI Belmont S. last time out, is expected to work up to his next start, Saratoga's GI Travers S. Aug. 26, confirmed Pletcher Sunday.
“With Tapwrit, we felt like a hard race in either the Jim Dandy or Haskell could potentially compromise our main goal, the Travers,” Pletcher told the TDN.
Pletcher added that the winner of this spring's GII Tampa Derby is expected to record his first work back following his Belmont victory this upcoming weekend.
A 'Dandy' Work…
Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence's Cloud Computing (Maclean's Music), winner of the Preakness, remained on course for the Jim Dandy with a five-furlong move in a bullet :59.01 at Belmont Sunday. Click here to view XBTV video.
“He worked a little fast, but he worked super well within himself,” Brown admitted. “Another horse broke off in the middle of the turn while we were in the middle of a five-eighths work and he saw that horse as a target. He's so competitive that he pulled the rider there. It caused the work to be a little faster than I wanted but, then again, it seemed like he was moving very easily.”
Brown enjoyed a banner day at Belmont Saturday, including a 1-2-3 finish headed by New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GI Belmont Oaks, and an inspired performance by Practical Joke (Into Mischief), who annexed the GIII Dwyer S. in fine style.
Of the latter, Brown said, “He had been training as good as ever, so we were cautiously optimistic that he was going to run an 'A' race, and he did. I'm proud of this horse. He gave a lot of weight to the other starters and still ran a key race.”
In regards to the colt's immediate future, Brown added, “We're strongly considering bringing him back in three weeks for the [GI] Haskell [Invitational at Monmouth Park July 30]. That's what we have penciled in, as long as he comes back healthy.”
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