Rupp Racing's Owendale (Into Mischief) completed preparations for the Aug. 24 GI Runhappy Travers S. with a four-furlong drill in :48.80 (24/90) at Churchill Downs Saturday.
“Our horse is doing really well,” trainer Brad Cox said Sunday. “He breezed great yesterday at Churchill and galloped out well and looked great this morning. He is coming into the race as well as we could ask or expect. He's on top of his game. He will gallop out on the track Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.”
Owendale won the Apr. 13 GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. before a third-place effort in the GI Preakness S. He will be stretching out to 1 1/4 miles in the Travers following a win in the nine-furlong GIII Ohio Derby June 22.
“He runs like he is a mile and a quarter horse,” Cox said. “If it is a good set up, it is possible. The numbers suggest our horse is a bit faster or just as fast any of these. If he can run his Preakness race or the Lexington race, he is going to be in the mix.”
Sagamore Farm's Scars are Cool (Malibu Moon) has joined the Travers line-up following the defection of stablemate and GIII Peter Pan S. winner Global Campaign (Curlin). The chestnut colt is coming off a maiden-breaking victory going nine furlongs at Saratoga July 21.
“He's always been nice. As a 2-year-old, he got hurt, but he looked like he was going to be a nice horse,” said trainer Stanley Hough. “Each race, he's improved. But in his race here, he looked really good.”
Scars are Cool opened his career with a fourth-place effort in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs May 12. He was third when stretched to a mile in Louisville June 16 before graduating third time out.
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