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Brilliant Speed, Alternation work for Jim Dandy Blue Grass S. (G1) winner BRILLIANT SPEED (Dynaformer), most recently third in the Belmont S. (G1), breezed five furlongs in 1:02 3/5 Saturday morning over the Saratoga's fast main track in preparation for the $500,000 Jim Dandy S. (G2) on July 30. "We have been pleased with the way he has been training," said Tom Albertrani, who trains the colt for Live Oak Plantation. "We gave him a little time off and kept him in light training after the Belmont. I backed off his workouts. He has always been a light-framed horse, so we didn't have to do a lot with him. He appears fit and he got a lot out of the work today. He broke off nice and easy. After the three-eighths pole, he picked it up and galloped out well. He came back in good shape." The 1 1/8 mile Jim Dandy, the traditional prep for the Travers S. (G1) on August 27, is also expected to attract Peter Pan S. (G2) winner ALTERNATION (Distorted Humor); MOONSHINE MUILLIN (Albert the Great), recent winner of the Victoria Park S. at Woodbine; Matt Winn S. (G3) winner SCOTUS (Successful Appeal); Belmont runner-up STAY THIRSTY (A.P. Indy); TECH FALL (Birdstone), fourth in the Dwyer S. (G2) at Belmont, and either Dwyer winner DOMINUS (Smart Strike) or Preakness S. (G1) third-place finisher ASTROLOGY (A.P. Indy) from trainer Steve Asmussen's barn. Albertrani said he was expecting a good performance from Brilliant Speed, who is 2-2-3 from 10 lifetime starts. "It looks like he's just getting better with every race and I would certainly expect to see him run another good race," Albertrani said. "I've been happy with his last two races, the Belmont and the (Kentucky) Derby (G1), I couldn't fault the surface. Hopefully again he might improve a little a little more and this might be the next step toward the Travers." Pin Oak Stable's Alternation turned in his final timed workout for the Jim Dandy, breezing five furlongs on the main track under Ramon Dominguez in 1:01 3/5. "I thought he went well this morning," trainer Donnie Von Hemel said. "He finished real good down the lane and Ramon was happy, said he was good and smooth and everything is set for next weekend." Winner of the Peter Pan at Belmont Park on May 14, the colt was briefly considered for the Belmont S., but his connections ultimately decided against running back in the 1 1/2-mile "Test of the Champion." "It was one of those things where we had to decide did we want to try the Belmont or just back off it and come and try a couple of races here, and we chose the latter," Von Hemel said. "He got here on Monday and we might let him gallop out or something before the race, but that's probably the last work." Alternation has been a regular on the worktab at Arlington Park, his home track, since the Peter Pan, turning in works ranging in distance from a half-mile to seven-eighths. "The fact that we haven't run since May we knew we had to give him a little bit more in the mornings," Von Hemel explained. "We backed off after the Peter Pan and let him relax for a couple of weeks. We then got back in business and put some in company works and some longer distances just to make sure we had everything ready to go." Trainer Steve Asmussen has yet to decide whether he'll run Dominus, victorious in the Dwyer on July 2, or Astrology, winner of the Iroquois S. (G3) as a two-year-old and third in this year's Preakness, in the 1 1/8-mile race for three-year-olds. Asmussen said he will likely send one to the Jim Dandy and the other to the following day's Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park and will base his decision based off wherever he thinks "is the best fit and will benefit both of them the most." Both sophomores are owned by Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton, with Spendthrift Farm also owning a piece of Dominus. "They are both quality three-year-olds with common ownership interests," added Asmussen, who didn't provide a timetable on when he'd make a decision. "We want to maximize both horses."
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