Francesca Le Donne Photo

Travers filly Wonder Gadot ‘sharp’ with four-furlong bullet work

by NYRA Press Office

• Vino Rosso in fine form after final work ahead of the Travers

• Other Travers reports: Hofburg likely to work ‘Sunday or Monday’; Mendelssohn, Seahenge expected to arrive Tuesday for O’Brien

• Travers Day + Week 6 stakes probables

Gary Barber’s Wonder Gadot completed her major Grade 1 Travers preparations with a four-furlong bullet work early Friday morning as she tries to become the first filly to win the Mid-Summer Derby since 1915. 

With exercise rider Chris Galloway aboard, the Mark Casse trainee worked solo over the main track before 6 a.m., breezing in a swift 47.60 seconds, the fastest of 67 at the distance. Wonder Gadot covered the first quarter-mile in 23.81 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.66, according to NYRA clockers.

“She goes in 47 and three[-fifths] like most horses go in 51. She’s truly amazing.” said Casse. “She’s sharp. She has a high level of energy all the time. By the time she’s finished cooling out this morning, she’ll be jumping around and trying to kick people.

“Now, you want to have an easy week and hope everything goes smoothly,” he added. “This is our lives: you get them to a point where they’re ready and now you’re sitting and waiting.”

The work was her second at Saratoga since winning the Prince of Wales by 5 ¾ lengths over males on July 24 at Fort Erie, the second leg of Canada’s Triple Crown. The 3-year-old Ontario-bred filly by Medaglia d’Oro won the first leg with similar ease, taking the 1 ¼-mile Queen’s Plate by 4 ¾ lengths on June 30 over Woodbine’s Tapeta course.

Last year, Wonder Gadot won the Grade 3 Mazarine and Grade 2 Demoiselle, and hasn’t finished worse than third in eight starts in 2018, including a runner-up finish to Monomoy Girl in the Kentucky Oaks on May 4. Wonder Gadot will enter the 1 ¼-mile Travers with a record of 5-4-3 from 13 career starts for more than $1.3 million in earnings.

Casse said an announcement regarding the jockey assignment is expected on Monday and mentioned Hall of Famer Mike Smith, Florent Geroux, and Tyler Gaffalione as possibilities. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who rode Wonder Gadot to victory in the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales, has the call aboard Vino Rosso in the Travers.

Vino Rosso in fine form after final work ahead of the Travers

Vino Rosso put in his final tune-up for the Grade 1 Travers on Friday morning at Saratoga, covering four furlongs in 49.02 seconds before light rain showers began.

Taking to the main track after the break with Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, Vino Rosso worked in company with 2017 Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit. Mike Repole and St. Elias Stable’s Vino Rosso ran inside of Tapwrit, and “worked very well, enthusiastic, and galloped out nicely,’’ said trainer Todd Pletcher. “It was the work I was hoping he’d put in before the Travers.”

Vino Rosso comes into the 1 ¼-mile Travers off a third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 2 Jim Dandy at the Spa on July 28. In that race, the chestnut son of Curlin got off to a slow start but closed strongly and missed by a head of finishing second.

A large field is shaping up for the Travers on August 25, including Grade 1 Haskell winner Good Magic, Jim Dandy winner Tenfold, Curlin winner Hofburg and the filly Wonder Gadot.

Velazquez has been aboard for all eight of Vino Rosso’s races, and said the colt “always shows great talent, but sometimes doesn’t put it into races.”

Vino Rosso won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial and was considered among the Kentucky Derby top contenders, but never really had a chance in the Run for the Roses, where he finished ninth. In the Belmont, he appeared to move into contention as the field came out of the final turn but wound up fourth behind Triple Crown winner Justify.

Vino Rosso has three wins and two thirds in eight starts for earnings of $792,500.

“He can be an inconsistent sort, he’s a little bit finicky about how much moisture is in the track,’’ said Pletcher. “In retrospect, that track was a little wetter than he liked in the Jim Dandy, and I think that was the reason it took him so long to get involved.

“He seems to like a drier surface, so we’ll see what happens on Travers day.”

Added Velazquez: ”Mother Nature has been very weird, but I’m hoping we get a dry track.”

Other Travers reports: Hofburg likely to work ‘Sunday or Monday’; Mendelssohn, Seahenge expected to arrive Tuesday for O’Brien

Travers-bound Hofburg and multiple stakes winner Elate, pointed to the Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign, will likely breeze for their respective assignments later this weekend, said Riley Mott, assistant to his father, Hall of Famer trainer Bill Mott.

The pair put in their penultimate breeze in company last Sunday, with Hofburg about a length ahead at the wire after working five furlongs in 1:00.44.

“Obviously, there’s some inclement weather in the forecast, but once we get a good track, we’ll work them,” said Mott. “It’s looking to be on either Sunday or Monday at Oklahoma where they’ve been working.”

European champion trainer Aidan O’Brien is expected to be represented by Mendelssohn and Seahenge in the Travers. The pair are expected to arrive at Saratoga on Tuesday.

Mendelssohn was a dominant 18 ½-length winner of the UAE Derby in March before easing to a last-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

Seahenge, fifth in the UAE Derby, made his U.S. debut with a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Both 3-year-old Scat Daddy colts are exiting the Grade 3 Dwyer on July 7 at Belmont Park, where they finished third and fifth, respectively.