Claiborne Farm's Lea (First Samurai) worked four furlongs at Saratoga Monday in :49.68 ahead of a tilt at Saturday's GI Whitney H. The 6-year-old, who began the year with a win in the GIII Hal's Hope S. in January, was second in the GI Donn H. and third in the G1 Dubai World Cup. He was a narrowly beaten second behind Noble Bird (Birdstone) in the June 13 GI Stephen Foster H. last time out.
“He was good; he was very good,” trainer Bill Mott said. “He worked normal, kind of what we expected and wanted. It's all we were looking for, real smooth. He's still on track for the Whitney. That's the plan.”
Mott added that Japan (Medaglia d'Oro), third in Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S., would be nominated to the Aug. 29 GI Travers S.
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