Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming and Preakness Stakes (G1) upsetter Cloud Computing each recorded breezes at Belmont Park on Sunday ahead of expected starts during the upcoming Saratoga meet.
Always Dreaming took to the fast dirt training track on Sunday, clocking a half-mile in :49.45 for trainer Todd Pletcher in his final move before shipping to Saratoga on Monday.
“It was a good, relaxed work,” Pletcher said. “He seems to be happy. We’d been focused on having him chill out a little bit and I think we’ve made progress. We kind of backed off after the Preakness and gave him a few easy weeks.”
Always Dreaming is targeting the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and is scheduled to have two more works before that July 29 contest.
Pletcher also sent out Belmont Stakes (G1) third-placer Patch and unbeaten Coal Front to breeze in company four furlongs in :47.88 over Belmont’s training track Sunday.
“Coal Front kind of got pretty aggressive with Johnny (Velazquez) down the backside and went off a little quicker than we would have liked, but despite that, they finished up pretty well and galloped out pretty well,” the trainer commented.
While Coal Front is gearing up for the $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) on July 29, Pletcher said Patch still has options for his next race.
Cloud Computing is expected to meet up with Always Dreaming in the Jim Dandy, and readied for that rematch by turning a bullet five furlongs on Belmont’s fast main track Sunday in :59.01.
It was the Chad Brown-trained colt’s fourth move since capturing the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, and his second straight bullet after going five-eighths in 1:01.84 on July 1. However, Cloud Computing had unexpected company midway through Sunday’s work.
“He worked a little fast, but he worked super well within himself,” Brown explained. “Another horse broke off in the middle of the turn while we were in the middle of a five-eighths work and he saw that horse as a target. He’s so competitive that he pulled the rider there.
“It caused the work to be a little faster than I wanted but, then again, it seemed like he was moving very easily.”
