December 27, 2024

Coil, Prayer for Relief slated to work Tuesday

Last updated: 8/22/11 7:11 PM


Coil, Prayer for Relief slated to work Tuesday







Coil is recovering from an eye injury
(Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)





Travers S. (G1) candidate COIL (Point Given) is scheduled to work on
Saratoga’s main track at 8:45 a.m. (EDT) on Tuesday for Hall of Fame trainer Bob
Baffert along with stablemate and West Virginia Derby (G2) winner PRAYER FOR
RELIEF (Jump Start), also a potential starter for the 1 1/4-mile “Midsummer
Derby.”

Coil, who defeated Preakness S. (G1) winner SHACKLEFORD (Forestry) and
Belmont S. (G1) winner RULER ON ICE (Roman Ruler) in the Haskell Invitational
(G1), will meet both rivals again on Saturday. Shackleford went down by a neck
when runner-up in the Haskell, while Ruler on Ice checked in another 2 1/4
lengths back in third.

Baffert was expected to arrive with Coil’s jockey Martin Garcia Monday
evening.

Baffert said that Coil scratched his right eye at some point after his most
recent work, a six-furlong drill in 1:13 last Wednesday, but that the injury has
been improving.



“Coil’s eye is getting better,” Baffert said. “He scratched it somehow after
I left and has a small ulcer. I’m going to breeze him after the break on Tuesday
and make the call. It’s always something.”

Baffert’s assistant Jim Barnes said he has been keeping the eye covered and
out of direct sunlight, and that the ulcer was on the colt’s cornea.

“We’re not sure how it came up, if he scratched it in the work, bumped it in
the stall or what,” Barnes said. “You have to very careful, but it looks like
it’s doing fine.”

In other Travers Day news:

STAY THIRSTY (Bernardini), RAISON D’ETAT (A.P. Indy) and J W BLUE (Sky Mesa),
all of whom worked on Sunday for the Travers, appeared to emerge from their
works in good order and remain on track for the race, their connections said
Monday.

Trainer Todd Pletcher reported that Mike Repole’s Jim Dandy S. (G2) winner
Stay Thirsty, as well as 2010 champion two-year-old male UNCLE MO (Indian
Charlie), who also breezed Sunday in preparation for a planned start in
Saturday’s King’s Bishop S. (G1), were both “great” following their works.

In Hall of Famer Bill Mott’s barn, Juddmonte Farms’ Curlin S. runner-up
Raison d’Etat also exited his work in good shape.

“He walked the shed this morning, and he’ll go to the track tomorrow,” Mott
said. “He’ll school on Wednesday in the paddock.”

Meanwhile, trainer Tony Dutrow revealed that J W Blue, most recently second
in Delaware Park’s Barbaro S., was showing good signs the morning after his
work.

“He ate up last night and his energy is good this morning,” Dutrow noted.

The field for Saturday’s Travers is beginning to gel, with BOWMAN’S CAUSEWAY
(Giant’s Causeway), MOONSHINE MULLIN (Albert the Great) and RATTLESNAKE BRIDGE (Tapit)
also listed as probable by NYRA Stakes Coordinator Andrew Byrnes. MALIBU GLOW
(Malibu Moon) is listed as possible for the race, as is Prayer for Relief.

Besides Uncle Mo, the King’s Bishop is expected to draw CALEB’S POSSE
(Posse), COOL BLUE RED HOT (Harlan’s Holiday), DOMINUS (Smart Strike),
FLASHPOINT (Pomeroy), JUSTIN PHILLIP (First Samurai), POSEIDON’S WARRIOR (Speightstown)
and RUNFLATOUT (Flatter). Possible for the race are BOLD WARRIOR (Bernardini), J
J’S LUCKY TRAIN (Silver Train) and WINE POLICE (Speightstown).

The Ballerina S. (G1) is likely to attract BRONX CITY GIRL (Yankee
Gentleman), DEVIL BY DESIGN (Medaglia d’Oro), HILDA’S PASSION (Canadian
Frontier), SASSY IMAGE (Broken Vow) and TAMARIND HALL (Graeme Hall).

The Ballston Spa (G2) field will probably include AVIATE (GB) (Dansili [GB]),
DAVERON (Ger) (Black Sam Bellamy), DESERT SAGE (GB) (Selkirk), MEKONG MELODY
(Ire) (Cape Cross [Ire]), ROMACACA (Running Stag) and UNBRIDLED ESSENCE (Essence
of Dubai).

The Victory Ride (G3) figures to lure FUNNY SUNNY (Sharp Humor), HER SMILE
(Include), HOT SUMMER (Malibu Moon), JEALOUS GIRL (Petionville), MAPLE FOREST
(Forestry), MOON BUZZ (Malibu Moon), OFLEE WICKED (Offlee Wild), ROMAN TREASURE
(Roman Ruler) and VALIANT PASSION (Lion Heart). A Z WARRIOR (Bernardini) and
PRECIOUS SOUL (Distorted Humor) are possible.