Shadwell Stable's Fayeq (Malibu Moon) may have earned a trip to the Aug. 26 GI Travers S. with his allowance victory at Saratoga Wednesday.
“He ran well even without switching leads,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “He didn't switch leads in his last two races,” said McLaughlin. “I'll speak to Shadwell and [general manager] Rick Nichols and discuss the Travers. It's a big step up, but we've got a lot of respect for him and we'll see what the options are. We think he wants the distance and he likes the track.”
The lightly raced colt, a half-brother to champion Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro), broke his maiden at Belmont when stretched to 1 1/16 miles in his third career start June 11 and scored by 3 1/2 lengths against a talented cast in the nine-furlong allowance Wednesday.
McLaughlin sent GIII Ben Ali S. winner Watershed (Bernardini) out to work four furlongs in :48.76 at Saratoga Thursday in preparation for a possible start in the Aug. 5 GI Whitney S.
“He looked good,” McLaughlin said of the Godolphin runner. “We're not exactly looking for Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) or Keen Ice (Curlin), but we are looking at that race.”
Since winning the Ben Ali at Keeneland in April, Watershed finished fifth in the May 19 GIII Pimlico Special and fourth behind Keen Ice in the July 8 GII Suburban H.
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