Trainer Chad Brown sent his three hopefuls for next Saturday's $1.25-million GI Travers S. out for their final pre-race workouts over the Saratoga main track following the renovation break at 8:45.
With Javier Castellano in the irons, 'TDN Rising Star' Gift Box (Twirling Candy) worked on his own, covering five furlongs in 1:02.48 before galloping out with good energy. Connect (Curlin), who defeated Gift Box by a length in the restricted Curlin S. July 29, breezed five-eighths of a mile in company in 1:01.11, while 'TDN Rising Star' My Man Sam (Trappe Shot), the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. runner-up who narrowly missed in a nine-furlong allowance July 23, was clocked in 1:02.65 for the same distance.
“I thought all three horses who are pointing to the Travers worked excellent,” Brown told the Saratoga notes team later in the morning at his barn. “Gift Box went solo and I thought he did just what I wanted him to. It was just a maintenance move for him. He looks to be training very well. He did it on his own, but that's him–he's a very good workhorse, that's why we worked him alone, he doesn't need any encouragement to do anything.
Brown continued, “I choose to work Connect in company with another horse. I also worked My Man Sam in company. Both horses seem to work a little better with a target, that's why I did it that way. Both horses worked well and galloped out extremely well. Everyone cooled out fine so far, so I'm happy with that.”
Brown said that each of the three horses galloped out in “1:15, give or take” and likes the chances of each, even as they spot many of the other Travers contestants valuable experience.
“I think my three horses are well-suited to run a mile and a quarter. I like the fact that all three of them have had local preps over the surface here. They get to run out of their own barn – this is home for us. All these reasons made the Travers an obvious target for us.”
John Velazquez has the call on Connect, while Manny Franco rides My Man Sam. The mount on Gift Box remains open, as Castellano is the regular rider of GI Belmont S. runner-up Destin (Giant's Causeway).
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