Raconteur, winner
of two straight on the inner track, completed major preparations for the Gotham
with a 48.89 four-furlong breeze on the Belmont
training track on Sunday.
Owned by Dogwood Stable, Raconteur went in company with Mike
Repole’s Calibrachoa, who
will attempt to remain unbeaten in five stakes starts on the inner track when
he defends his title in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at
six furlongs.
“I thought it was a decent move today; I was pleased with what I
saw,” said Michael McCarthy, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, of
Raconteur’s work. “He got into a nice rhythm and maintained it
throughout the work, and he galloped out well.”
McCarthy also expressed satisfaction with the drill posted by
Calibrachoa, who repeated in the Grade 3 Toboggan on February 4.
“The horse seemed to come out of the Toboggan in decent
order,” said McCarthy. “He worked nicely today. He’s on
schedule.”
Green Hills Farm’s Love and
Pride, victorious in the Affectionately on January 29, was also on
the worktab, breezing four furlongs in 50.55 as she tunes up for
Saturday’s Top Flight.
“She does not need a lot,” said McCarthy. “She got
over the racetrack well, galloped out well, and came back in good order.”
The stable’s other Gotham contender,
Grade 3 LeComte fourth-place finisher Dan and
Sheila, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.92 on Sunday at Palm Meadows,
quickest of 29 moves at the distance. The Zayat Stables color-bearer is
expected to arrive in New York
on Wednesday, McCarthy said.
Additional New York-based Gotham workers were Hardened Wildcat (five furlongs in 1:02 at Belmont), King and Crusader (five furlongs in a
bullet 1:01.30 at Aqueduct), and My Adonis
(five furlongs in 1:01.32 at Aqueduct).
On the worktab in Florida
was Two-Year-Old Champion Male Hansen,
who worked five furlongs, handily, in 1:00.95 at Gulfstream for trainer Michael
Maker and owners Dr. Kendall Hansen and Sky Chai Racing.
In addition to Hardened Wildcat, Andrew Byrnes, stakes coordinator for
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), added Suns Out Guns Out and Went
the Day Well to the list of Gotham
probables. Chief Energy is no
longer under consideration for the race.