WinStar Farm and Bobby Flay's Creator (Tapit) put in his final work prior to a start in the Aug. 27 GI Travers S. Sunday morning at Saratoga, covering a half-mile in :49.33 (5/42) over the Oklahoma training track.
“He went over the racetrack really well, and was moving well,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, who moved the breeze up due to expected rain in Saratoga later Sunday. “We did move up his work [up] a day because of the strong possibility of rain, which will give him an extra day–and having him a touch sharper is probably a good thing for him.”
Winner of the GI Arkansas Derby earlier this term, Creator captured the GI Belmont S. June 11 in a very tight photo and finished last of six in the GII Jim Dandy S. last time out July 30.
“I do feel that Creator has been considerably sharper since the Jim Dandy than he was before it, which we obviously needed to be,” Asmussen said. “The good news was that [the Jim Dandy] wasn't Creator's major target, but we were expecting it to be better.”
The recently inducted Hall of Famer, who is looking for his first Travers win, will also saddle MGSW Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) for Winchell Thoroughbreds.
“The work plan is kind of the opposite with Gun Runner; he's scheduled to work [Monday], but if we get the rain and a sloppy track, it will be moved to Tuesday,” Asmussen explained. “I'm comfortable with that because, obviously, he does not need to be sharper. He's plenty sharp already. It's just a difference in his and Creator's style, and who they are personally.”
Capturing the GII Risen Star S. and GII Louisiana Derby this winter, Gun Runner was third after setting the early pace in the GI Kentucky Derby May 7 and returned to win the GIII Matt Winn S. June 18. The chestnut was last seen finishing fifth behind an impressive performance from the Travers bound Exaggerator (Curlin) in the GI Betfair.com Haskell Invitational S. at Monmouth Park July 31.
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