Travers Duo Pleases Jerkens

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens enjoyed a banner day at Saratoga when his V. E. Day (English Channel) closed powerfully to just nip stablemate Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) on the wire in the Aug. 23 GI Travers S. The duo match up again in Saturday’s GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. 
“Both horses, knock on wood, have been incredible with how they came out of the Travers,” Jerkens said on the NTRA’s national teleconference Tuesday. “They might have left a little bit of feed for one day afterwards, but from that day on, they got right back on schedule. It was all we could hope for for horses coming out of a long, grueling race to come out like they did, I am really thankful for that.” 
Magalen Bryant’s V. E. Day carries a four-race win streak into the Gold Cup. Although the chestnut colt was slow to develop, he has more than made up for it recently, according to Jerkens. 
“He used to be very spotty in his workouts and he would lose weight and it didn’t seem like for any particular reason,” Jerkens said. “But all of a sudden he just started to grow up and he’s improved by leaps and bounds in the last three or four months. He is a much bigger, stouter horse than he was three months ago. He’s a horse with a lot of class and lucky for us he has developed the right way.” 
V. E. Day worked five furlongs over the Belmont training track Monday in 1:00.69. That effort followed a seven-furlong drill in 1:28.30 Sept. 13. 
“He worked very well,” Jerkens said. “He had a nice work about eight days before and he went a little faster than I wanted, he went seven-eighths in :27 and change and galloped out a good mile. It was a little stiffer than I wanted him to do. So I opted to wait another day or two and give him a work a little shorter at a decent clip, which he did. I thought he worked perfect.” 
Wicked Strong has already made plenty of stops on his sophomore campaign. The Centennial Farms colorbearer won the GI Twinspires.com Wood Memorial S. in April and was fourth in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S. He won the July 26 GII Jim Dandy S. before coming up just a nose short in the Travers. 
“He ran two terrific races in Saratoga and he’s done everything right since then,” Jerkens said. “He’s had, at least by today’s standards, a grueling schedule and he’s held up to it like a trooper and I’m really proud of him. When he was galloping this morning, a lot of the trainers were commenting on how great he looks. He is a hardy animal and a good feeling and high-spirited horse who has kept his edge. I would be very surprised if he didn’t at least run his race on Saturday.”