Sovereignty puts on finishing touches for G1 DraftKings Travers

• Sovereignty puts on finishing touches for G1 DraftKings Travers
• Strategic Focus ready for G1 DraftKings Travers after Saturday breeze
• Thorpedo Anna turns in final breeze for G1 Personal Ensign
• Mullikin works for G1 Forego; Meringue possible for G1 Spinaway
• Future Is Now earns 98 BSF in Listed Smart and Fancy score

Godolphin's dual Classic-winner Sovereignty breezed on Saturday over the Oklahoma dirt training track one week out from the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers, a historic 1 1/4-mile test for sophomores, at Saratoga Race Course.

Guided through the exercise by Neil Poznansky, Sovereignty hit the track around 7:30 a.m. and after being escorted around the oval by his Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott on his pony, broke off at least one length in front of workmate Fort Nelson to work five-eighths in 1:00.82 seconds, according to NYRA clockers.

Sovereignty, the last-out Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun winner on July 26 here, was always in front and finished well clear of his workmate, galloping out in 1:14.33. Mott, after surveying his barn area with his young grandson William in his lap, said he was pleased with Sovereignty’s move.

“I thought that went well,” said Mott. “It was something very similar [to] or what we wanted - a decent five-eighths.”

Sovereignty, who leads the sophomore division in earnings with more than $5 million banked this year, seeks to add the Travers to a resume that includes wins in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, as well as the Grade 3 Street Sense as a maiden last year and the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in March at Gulfstream Park.

“We’re not taking anything for granted,” Mott said. “The horse has to show up and run a big race if he is going to win.”

Mott seeks his first Travers victory - he’s been second with Vision and Verse [1999], Hold Me Back [2009] and Tacitus [2019] - and the Into Mischief bay is ready to roll.

“He should be ready,” said Mott. “He should be fit. There shouldn’t be any excuse for him not being fit.”

Sovereignty, out of the unraced Bernardini mare Crowned, is a Kentucky homebred for Godolphin, who has won the Travers with Alpha [2012, dead-heat with Golden Ticket] and Essential Quality [2021].

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Strategic Focus ready for G1 DraftKings Travers after Saturday breeze

Klaravich Stables’ Strategic Focus is set to take on dual Classic-winner Sovereignty in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers after NYRA clockers caught him breezing five furlongs in 1:01 and 2/5 seconds over the Saratoga Race Course main track on Saturday.

Donning blinkers for his second work since a third-place finish in the nine-furlong restricted Listed Curlin on July 24 here, the son of Gun Runner worked with regular exercise rider Kriss Bon aboard to the inside of the maiden Duration.

“He worked great,” Brown said. “Excellent, and exactly what I wanted to see – he worked five-eighths and galloped out in 1:13 and change.”

Strategic Focus adds blinkers for the Travers after pouncing to the front in the final turn of the Curlin and leading through the final sixteenth, but was collared late while turning his head a bit as stablemate Chancer McPatrick came from off the pace to claim the victory.

With two works now completed with the addition of blinkers, Brown said he likes what he’s seen from Strategic Focus, who crossed the wire first in an optional claimer two starts back on June 6 here but was demoted to second for interference with stablemate Malarchuk in the stretch.

“Very good, I’m hoping it’s keeping him more focused,” Brown said of the equipment change. “It was disappointing his last two starts, and then when he made the lead he didn’t act right, so let’s see if that’s what it is. We’ll find out. He has a tall order ahead of him, but I do like the way he worked today, so we’ll give it a shot.”

Earlier in the morning, Grade 1 Whitney-winner and reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Sierra Leone returned to the work tab, breezing a half-mile over the main track in 48 4/5 seconds to the inside of Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial contender Chancer McPatrick.

“He did great with a little maintenance work and couldn’t have done it better,” Brown said of Sierra Leone. “He’s doing excellent. He’s held his weight well and he’s moving great.”

Brown noted Sierra Leone is still on target for the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup on August 31 here, which will serve as a prep for a return to Del Mar to defend his title in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in November.
Chancer McPatrick, last-out winner of the Curlin, will cut back in distance for the seven-furlong Allen Jerkens on the Travers undercard. The son of McKinzie is already a Grade 1-winner over course and distance after taking last year’s Hopeful.

Brown also sent out the multiple Grade 1-winning pair of Randomized and Raging Sea to work a half-mile over the main track in 48 1/5 in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign on the Travers undercard. The former is coming off a win in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher on July 19 at Monmouth Park while the latter seeks to successfully defend her title in this event on the heels of local third-place efforts in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford and the Grade 2 Shuvee last out on July 18.

“More of the same from them,” Brown said. “They both worked well and they’re both on target for the Ensign.”

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Thorpedo Anna turns in final breeze for G1 Personal Ensign

Reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna turned in her final work in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign, covering a half-mile in 48.28 seconds on Saturday over Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma training track with Luis Rivera, Jr. in the irons. The Personal Ensign offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar.

“I thought it was brilliant, perfect,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “I told him to go 48 and change and she looked happy as ever.”

Thorpedo Anna, whose ownership group now includes Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in addition to Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing, enters the Personal Ensign from a win in Churchill Downs’ Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on June 28.

The daughter of Fast Anna returns to the scene of Grade 1 wins in the DK Horse Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks last year ahead of a head second to Fierceness in the Grade 1 DraftKings Travers. She completed the year with Grade 1 wins in the Cotillion at Parx Racing and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar, concluding a campaign that was awarded Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly honors.

Bred by Judy Hicks, Thorpedo Anna is out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Sataves, whose sophomore colt McAfee is expected to run in the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on Saturday.

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Mullikin works for G1 Forego; Meringue possible for G1 Spinaway

WinStar Farm’s Mullikin worked a half-mile in 49.03 seconds Saturday over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for a title defense in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Forego, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses. The Forego offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Del Mar.

Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the 5-year-old Violence horse arrives from back-to-back runner-up efforts to Book’em Danno – a rival he will face again next weekend.

Jose Ortiz was aboard for a 2 1/2-length second last out in the six-furlong Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, but Mullikin was piloted through Saturday’s breeze by his regular rider Flavien Prat, who will return to the irons in the Forego.

“We weren’t looking for anything particularly fast. We got all the important work done last week,” Brisset said. “He was on his own, Flavien was on, and he went off in 13 and 1 and came home in 35 and change. Good energy, moving well. That was exactly what we were looking for.”

Mullikin’s work built upon a half-mile in 48.24 last week over the Oklahoma that ranked second out of 36 efforts at the distance. Brisset said Mullikin has appreciated staying in Saratoga rather than shipping back and forth from Keeneland.

“Maybe the big difference could be is this time we don't have to ship from Keeneland,” said Brisset about turning the tables on Book’em Danno. “We've been here, and he won't have to make the trip the same week that we run.”

Mullikin, a 5 3/4-length winner of last year’s Forego, has banked in excess of $1.1 million via a 14-5-6-1 record. Entries for the Forego are taken Sunday.
Elements Racing’s Meringue worked a swift half-mile in 48.44 Saturday over the Oklahoma dirt training track in her first work back since a runner-up effort to Mythical in the Grade 3 Adirondack on August 3 here.

“She did it pretty easily,” Brisset said. “We're very happy with her coming back from her first race on the dirt. It was a very good work. She's trained forward in the mornings and showed she has talent.”

The Frosted grey won sprinting five furlongs on the turf in her June 19 debut at Churchill Downs, besting Delightful Darling by a neck. Last out, in the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack, Meringue traveled in last-of-5 as Mythical rocketed to the front through sharp splits. Meringue advanced up the rail through the turn but when she tipped out for the stretch run, the Dylan Davis-piloted Spa Prospector also angled out causing Meringue to check. The brave filly regained her composure and came on strong to complete the exacta.

“I watched the replay a couple times and not trying to find an excuse - the winner is a nice filly - but I think we got bothered pretty hard at the quarter-pole,” Brisset said. “When Dylan Davis came out, I don't think he saw us coming and we checked pretty hard and got a lot of momentum taken away from her. She had to reroute and come on and run her race. We got beat two lengths, but the gallop out was strong, too. I'm not saying we'd go by the winner, but definitely it took something away from her.”

Brisset indicated he is weighing his options for Meringue which could include the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on August 30 which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. Also on the table are the $1 million [$500K KTDF] Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies going one-mile on August 31 or the Grade 3 Pocahontas next month at Churchill.

“We have a couple different options and we'll make a decision this week. We kept her here to keep our eyes on the Spinaway and see what the field will turn out to be,” Brisset said.

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Future Is Now earns 98 BSF in Listed Smart and Fancy score

The Estate of R. Larry Johnson’s multiple graded-stakes winner Future Is Now registered a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for her professional 1 1/2-length score over Dontlookbackatall in Friday’s Listed $150,000 Smart and Fancy, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Michael Trombetta and piloted by Paco Lopez, the 5-year-old Great Notion mare stalked the early foot of Risk Threshold and advanced with purpose late in the turn to take a two-length advantage at the stretch call and power home a smart winner in a final time of 1:02.71 over the good going.

“Every once in a while you get a horse that knows their job and they just go out there and do it. As long as she stays well, she gives you her best,” Trombetta said. “She came out of it good. She handles it all so well. She travels well and shows up and always runs good.”

The speedy bay is out of the Bernardini mare Past as Prelude, who is a half-sister to Street Magician – winner of the 2007 Grade 3 Hirsch Jacobs over the Pimlico main track for Trombetta and Johnson.

“I've trained so many nice horses for them over the years. Over time, it’s grown into a better and better group of horses,” Trombetta said.

Trombetta added that another title defense may be in order for Future Is Now in the Grade 2 Franklin on October 12 at Keeneland.

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Undisputed graduates by 9 1/4-lengths at the Spa

Fred Rosen’s New York-bred sophomore Undisputed graduated at fifth asking with a 9 1/4-length romp versus elders Friday in a one-mile state-bred maiden out of the Wilson Chute at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Jena Antonucci and piloted for the second time by Ricardo Santana, Jr., the Authentic colt marked the half-mile in 47.88 seconds, three-quarters in 1:12.58 and was in front by five lengths at the stretch call en route to a facile score in a final time of 1:38.22. The winning effort earned a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s a big strapping colt, learning and putting all the pieces together,” said Antonucci, who noted the dark bay exited the event in good order. “Ricardo has breezed him a couple times to learn about him and I was proud to see him put it all together.”

The $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase has kept good company in his last two outings against state-bred elders here, finishing fourth in a seven-furlong sprint on June 6 won by Hit the Post and third in a nine-furlong route on July 16 won by Iron Dome. Both Hit the Post and Iron Dome are entered in Thursday’s $200,000 Albany presented by Albany Distilling Company.

Undisputed, a half-brother to graded stakes-winner Holiday Disguise and multiple stakes-winner Midnight Disguise, is out of the winning Yes It’s True mare Thin Disguise – half-sister to graded stakes-winner Naughty New Yorker.