Trainer Eoin Harty said he was pleased with the progress of
multiple Grade 3 hero Endorsement, a five-year-old son of Distorted Humor who is pointing to Saturday’s
Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Invitational Handicap at Saratoga.
“He loves it here. He’s really, really training good here,” Harty said. “I
hadn’t seen him in a week, and I saw him this morning and he’s really in top
shape. After a work like he did here last weekend, to be acting like he’s acting
is a real positive sign.”
On July 23, the Casner Racing colorbearer breezed five furlongs over
Saratoga’s main track in a bullet :58 4/5, galloping out six furlongs in
1:12 1/5. He is tentatively scheduled to put in his final pre-Whitney work Monday
morning, but the time and track are dependent on the weather.
Harty wasn’t pleased with Endorsement’s behavior prior to his last start, the
Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park on July 7, when he acted up in the
paddock and the starting gate before finishing last of seven, beaten 37 lengths.
It was, by far, the poorest performance for Endorsement, winner of the Grade
3 Texas Mile and third by a length in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special this year. He
has been off the board just twice in 10 career starts, with four wins and three
seconds.
“If I didn’t have a reason why he ran so poorly, I’d say I wouldn’t have even
considered this race,” Harty said. “But, he had a genuine reason for running so
badly, and his races up to the Suburban were good races. He showed improvement
in each race, so if you throw out the Suburban, he deserves a shot.”
Harty, who had a six-hour delay on his flight from California to Saratoga,
planned to school Endorsement in the paddock during Sunday’s 7TH race.
Joel Rosario will be aboard Endorsement for the first time in the Whitney,
replacing Martin Garcia, who rode the chestnut in his past two races. Formerly
based on the West Coast, Rosario entered Sunday’s card with seven wins in his
first full summer at Saratoga.
“I’ve used Joel and I’ve watched him ride out in California, and he’s an
excellent rider out there,” Harty noted. “I’ve watched him since he’s been back
here, and he seems to be doing extremely well. He’s a good front-end rider, and
he seems to be getting better at that. That’s how I want to run this horse.”
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