Godolphin Racing’s Regal Ransom returned to the worktab Thursday morning at Saratoga Race Course,
turning in his first breeze since finishing last as the favorite in the Grade 1
Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 18. Working alone at 5:30
a.m., Regal Ransom, who won Dubai ’s Group 2 UAE Derby and Grade 2 Super
Derby at Louisiana Downs in 2009, breezed three furlongs in 36.24 seconds over
the main track.
Prior to the Stephen Foster,
Regal Ransom was beaten a nose by recently-retired Grade 1 winner First Dude in
the Grade 3 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 6 and a neck by Capt.
Candyman Can, the 2009 Grade 1 King’s Bishop winner, in the Sir Shackleton
Handicap at Gulfstream Park in April.
“We wanted to give him some time
off after the Stephen Foster after he ran two hard races,” said Rick Mettee,
assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “I thought [Thursday] morning’s workout
was good. He has been a good workout horse and he’s always trained well at
Saratoga . We’ll
take it one workout at a time and see how it goes. The Forego [Grade 1, 7
furlongs, September 3] is a possibility.”