Stay
Thirsty, the morning-line favorite for Saturday’s 142nd
running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers, was reported to be all set for the
1 ¼-mile race by trainer Todd Pletcher, a sentiment that was precisely echoed
Friday morning by the connections of Haskell Invitational winner Coil, Preakness victor Shackleford, Belmont Stakes hero Ruler On Ice, Rattlesnake Bridge, Raison
d’Etat and Bowman’s
Causeway.
“Everything is terrific at this moment,” said Pletcher at
11:28 a.m. “Stay Thirsty has already schooled in the paddock and is back
in his stall. It will be an early night for me and a late night for [owner]
Mike [Repole]. But basically, the major work is done.”
In addition to Stay Thirsty, Pletcher will also be saddling favored Uncle Mo in the Grade 1 Foxwoods
King’s Bishop and Hilda’s Passion
in the Grade 1 Ballerina, along with the favored entry of Our Entourage and Never On Time in the second race, Anonymous Donor in the third, Sarah’s Pleasure in the sixth, and Maple Forest in the Grade 3 Victory Ride.
“The preparation is the same whether it’s the Ballerina, or
the Travers, or a maiden race,” said Pletcher. “Obviously, some
carry more weight than others, but you have to treat each race somewhat the
same. If you get too crazy about it, it’s not beneficial.”
Wearing a protective cup over his right eye, Coil had an easy gallop
Friday morning on the main track for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. In the Travers,
the colt will not have any protection over the eye, which continues to heal
from a scratched cornea.
“It looks good; it’s healing, so that’s good,”
said Baffert. “He’s not in any pain, and it’s too late
anyway, because you can’t make any last-minute changes.”
In trainer Dale Romans’ barn, Preakness winner and Travers
hopeful Shackleford was, as usual,
rolling in the dirt after his morning gallop.
“His final roll before the race,” Romans said. “Well,
maybe not. Maybe we’ll let him come out and roll tomorrow. Keep him
happy.”
Ruler On Ice will
ship up to Saratoga
Friday night, according to Lori Hall, who owns the Belmont Stakes winner with
her husband, George. The son of Roman Ruler has been training at Kelly
Breen’s base at Monmouth
Park and enters the race
off a third behind Coil and Shackleford in the Haskell.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin would like nothing better than a fast pace to
target for his Travers starter Rattlesnake
Bridge on Saturday. The Tapit colt stumbled at the start of his most
recent victory in the Long Branch at Monmouth Park then steadily gobbled up ground
from seventh place before winning by a nose.
McLaughlin said all the figures he looked at indicated the performance
matched up with the other Travers contenders, and he is expecting a big effort
in the race.
“I think Shackleford will be on the lead,” McLaughlin said.
“I think Coil might be close. He just didn’t break last time [when
winning the Haskell Invitational]. Stay Thirsty will be there. They won’t
let [Shackleford] get away.”
McLaughlin added that Rattlesnake
Bridge was doing
“fine” on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott reported that Travers
contender Raison d’Etat was
on schedule for the race.
“He galloped this morning,” Mott said. “He’s
doing well.”
Finally, trainer Chad Brown confirmed that Bowman’s Causeway was in good shape the day before the
Travers.