Florida Derby (G1) star QUALITY ROAD (Elusive Quality), the 8-5 morning line
favorite for Saturday’s 140th running of the $1 million Travers S. (G1), was
among a throng of horses schooling in the Saratoga paddock for trainer Todd
Pletcher Thursday morning.
Quality Road was calm, but alert throughout his approximately 20-minute
schooling session, stopping once to buck playfully. In addition to several turns
around the paddock, Quality Road was mock-saddled in the enclosure before being
led back across Union Avenue to the barn.
The Edward Evans homebred, who missed the Triple Crown because of
quarter-cracks, returned with a track record-setting triumph in the Amsterdam S.
(G2) at the Spa.
Also schooling for Pletcher was multiple Grade 2 hero Munnings (Speightstown),
the 2-1 choice on the morning line for Saturday’s King’s Bishop S. (G1).
Among the 25 horses being schooled in the paddock Thursday morning were a
trio from trainer Ian Wilkes’ barn — Travers contender WARRIOR’S REWARD (Medaglia
d’Oro), King’s Bishop threat CAPT. CANDYMAN CAN (Candy Ride [Arg]) and Sunday’s
Personal Ensign S. (G1) entrant MISS ISELLA (Silver Charm).
Warrior’s Reward, Miss Isella and Capt. Candyman Can stood well with alert
ears while looking out at the other horses from the saddling stalls.
“They were good and well-behaved,” Wilkes said. “Warrior’s Reward has a
tremendous mind and nothing bothers him. He’s not distracted.”
Warrior’s Reward has finished behind Travers’ third choice KENSEI (Mr.
Greeley) in his last two starts, checking in third in the Dwyer S. (G2) and
second in the Jim Dandy S. (G2). Since the Jim Dandy, Warrior’s Reward has
posted two solid five-furlong works with jockey Calvin Borel aboard.
“He dug in and fought in his last race,” Wilkes said. “He had every right to
finish way back for third or fourth. He dug in to run second. I think I’ve got a
more focused horse. I’m getting closer to Kensei. He beat me by five lengths at
Belmont. Then we got beat by two lengths in the Jim Dandy. We’re getting closer.
“Calvin has been very pleased with the way he has worked,” he added. “He has
been finishing the works solid and galloping out strong. That’s the most
important thing.”
In other Travers news, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott had HOLD ME BACK
(Giant’s Causeway) gallop one mile over the Oklahoma training track Thursday
morning.
“He had a nice gallop this morning,” Mott said. “I gave him a
once-around-the-track gallop. He’s coming into the Travers fresh and ready. He’s
had time between his last race and this race. He’s had good works over the
track. We’re going into the race like we’ve done in his previous races.”
Hold Me Back, who finished fifth when trying turf in the Virginia Derby (G2)
last out, drew post position 1 for the Travers.
“Our horse drops back and the post position shouldn’t hurt him,” Mott said.
“He’s not a speed horse. Most of the field will be in front of him early on.”
As he heads toward the Travers with 15-1 longshot OUR EDGE (The Cliff’s
Edge), Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito can’t help but reflect back on the 2004
Travers, which he won with Birdstone.
“The interesting thing is, Our Edge is by The Cliff’s Edge, who we trained,
and he was second to Birdstone in that race,” Zito said. “So we have a lot of
footprints in this race. You have a Birdstone in there (Belmont S. [G1] winner
SUMMER BIRD), there were almost two Birdstones (before Kentucky Derby [G1]
winner Mine That Bird declared), and a Cliff’s Edge, trained by us.
“This horse looks a lot like his dad, so I’m kind of happy about that. He’s
going to represent his dad as well as he can.”
Even without the Derby winner, Zito believes that Saturday’s race features a
deep and talented field of three-year-olds, including Our Edge, whose victory in
the Barbaro S. (G3) was his third straight win.
“Even if you go by what they say on paper, you have the Florida Derby winner
(Quality Road), the Jim Dandy winner (Kensei), the Peter Pan (G2) winner
(CHARITABLE MAN [Lemon Drop Kid]), the Barbaro winner, that’s us,” he said. “If
you had the Derby winner in there it would have been special, but it’s still a
special race.
“Obviously we have a longshot,” Zito said. “That’s the way we’ve been trying
to win these big races. We’re glad to be in it and more importantly we’re going
to try as hard as we can. We have an up-and-coming three-year-old.”