Trainer
Christophe Clement, who will send out reigning Champion Turf Male Gio Ponti in next Saturday’s Grade 1
Arlington Million at Arlington Park, also has a pair of live possibilities for
the Grade 1, 1 ½-mile Sword Dancer run here at Saratoga Race Course on the same
day with three-time Grade 1 winner Winchester and Grade 2 hero Grassy.
“Winchester will work this
weekend, or coming out of the weekend, and is still Sword Dancer possible,”
Clement said of Mr. and Mrs. Bertram R. Firestone’s 6-year-old homebred son of
Theatrical, winner of the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap and Joe
Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont last year. “After he works, we’ll make a
decision.”
Grassy, who prevailed in a
six-horse blanket finish at the Spa in 2009 and won the Grade 2 Red Smith
Handicap at Aqueduct in November, worked five furlongs over the Oklahoma turf course
Friday morning in 1:01.44.
“He worked well, he looked well,
and he came out of his work in good order,” Clement said. “I’m very happy with
the work and the Sword Dancer is very much in consideration, especially if we
get some rain this week.”