• Trainer Keith Desormeaux called an audible with Grade I William Hill Haskell Invitational winner and Grade I Travers S. hopeful Exaggerator (Curlin), deciding to pass over the colt's penultimate work scheduled for Saturday morning. His final breeze for the Midsummer Derby will be Aug. 20. “We're going to take the fresh approach,” said Desormeaux, who arrived from Del Mar Thursday evening. “He's had plenty of racing, he's been running steadily since February. He had a tough Triple Crown campaign and he showed his ability to maintain fitness by the run in the Haskell.”
• GI Belmont S. runner-up Destin (Giant's Causeway) breezed for the first time after his third-place finish in the GII Jim Dandy S. July 27, going a half-mile in :48.87. “He seemed to go well and looked particularly energetic this morning so I was happy with the way he came out of it,” said Pletcher. “It was just a standard half-mile breeze so we'll continue with preparations towards the Travers.”
• Jim Dandy winner Laoban (Uncle Mo) also showed up on the worktab for the first time since the Travers prep Friday, going five furlongs in 1:01.45 over the main track. “I put him behind another horse, and he ended up picking up a couple of other horses who got in his way down the lane, and he had to go around them,” trainer Eric Guillot said. “He got by everything, and worked in 1:01 and 2 and galloped out another [furlong] in 12 and went 1:13 and 2. He came back good.”
• Another Travers contender working Friday was Ohio Derby winner Mo Tom (Uncle Mo), who remains under consideration for the big race after breezing four furlongs in :51.71 over the Oklahoma training track. “He's doing well,” said trainer Tom Amoss. “Our plan is to work next Friday and give him something much more significant and at that point we will make a decision on what to do after that.”
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