Coil, Shackleford doing well in advance of 'Midsummer Derby'

Coil, Shackleford doing well in advance of 'Midsummer

Derby'

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert reported that his Travers (G1) contender

COIL (Point Given) was doing well Thursday morning.

"He's doing great. The main job is to have him ready and (jockey) Martin

(Garcia) knows what to do," Baffert said. "I don't tell him too much. When

Martin has a lot of confidence in a horse is when he does his best riding. Being

a jockey and making those calls like that in those big races, he handles big

race pressure really well."

Coil's first race on dirt came in the Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth

Park on July 31, which he won by a neck over Preakness (G1) hero SHACKLEFORD

(Forestry). Despite never being worse than third at any call of his previous

five races, all on synthetic surfaces, Coil broke very slowly in his dirt debut,

something Baffert does not want to see this weekend.

"I don't want him dead last like he was in the Haskell," Baffert said. "I

told Martin, 'When you were last going down the backside I had already given up

and was so upset,' and he said, 'Señor, it's not where you are on the backside,

it's where you are right here (in the winner's circle).' So he will just put him

in a spot where he feels comfortable. He needs a target, though."

Baffert -- whose first and only Travers victory came in 2001 with Coil's

sire, Point Given -- also spent some time sizing up the competition.

"Shackleford is a grinder," he said. "He has that high cruising speed, goes

goes goes and tries hard the entire way. Stay Thirsty (Bernardini), the way he

ran last time, he likes this track. He's had a race over it and that is a big

edge."

When asked about similarities that he sees between Coil and his sire, Baffert

responded whimsically.

"They are the same color," he remarked. "You know what, he's actually a

better looking horse (than his sire Point Given). Point Given was just a big

slab-sided horse. This horse has a great mind but also has Point Given's

potential."

For trainer Dale Romans, the final pieces of what he hopes will be a

spectacular weekend at Saratoga Race Course are just about in place. With all

the ancient and storied stakes races that populate the track's racing calendar,

Travers Day is the unquestioned centerpiece of the meet.

Romans, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, who has spent 19 summers at

Saratoga, has his star three-year-old Shackleford for the Travers, and he'll

also send out multiple Grade 1 winner Sassy Image (Broken Vow) in the $250,000

Ballerina (G1) and 2009 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly Turf winner Tapitsfly

(Tapit) in the $200,000 Ballston Spa (G2).

Asked if he gets extra excited for weekends like this, Romans said, "You do,

but it depends on the situation. This is exciting. There hasn't been a lot of

stress involved because there hasn't been a problem."

The lone blip in the plans came in the 2ND race Wednesday afternoon, when

Shackleford's jockey, Jesus Castanon, went down in a spill on the grass when his

mount. His mount clipped heels with another rival, but neither horse nor the

jockey was injured. Castanon was back at work Thursday morning, galloping

Shackleford 1 1/2 miles.

Castanon gave the thumbs up when asked how he felt, and Romans enjoyed

ribbing him.

"He said the track felt soft yesterday," Romans said. "He can literally tell

you how it feels."

"I've still got a little grass on me," Castanon said.

A couple hours after his gallop, Shackleford had a schooling session in the

paddock at 11 a.m. (EDT), and he will stand in the starting gate Friday. Even

when his horses act like pros, Romans likes to reinforce good habits to keep

them calm and in a routine.

Romans has had major horses in the past, but Shackleford is the one to give

him his first American classic victory.

"He's up there with the tops, right up there with Kitten's Joy and Roses in

May," Romans said. "Personally, there are three or four up there at the top at a

different level. It's not just the way they run but the way they train and act.

Roses in May won the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1); Kitten's Joy was a champion."

Shackleford's co-owner, Michael Lauffer, added, "We're just excited to be

here. Saratoga is a special place, and the Travers is a special race. I owned

half of Rachel Alexandra, but next to her, Shackleford's the best."

Shackleford, the Preakness (G1) winner, has looked good in the mornings at

Saratoga, showing no ill effects of his demanding campaign, which featured

appearances in all three Triple Crown races and a second-place finish behind

Coil in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

Questions remain whether he is up to the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Travers,

but Romans expects a top effort.

"That's what makes the game great -- everybody has an opinion," Romans said.

"He just has to prove everyone wrong. My horse can overcome a lot. If someone

wants to go (to the lead), we'll just sit off of them. I think he likes that,

anyway, having a target, so he can keep clocking them. Going a mile and a

quarter, there will be very few of them that will be out fast there early."

In the weeks leading up to the Travers, Romans has engaged in a long,

friendly text-message conversation with Baffert. After Coil's work Tuesday

morning, Romans texted suggesting the colt skip the Travers for the Pennsylvania

Derby (G2).

"It's always fun," Romans said, clearly having a lot of it this meet. "We

have a good time."

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has an all-systems-go perspective for RATTLESNAKE

BRIDGE (Tapit) after the three-year-old galloped over Saratoga's main track

Thursday morning for the Travers.

"He was great (Wednesday) when he schooled in the paddock; today, he galloped

well and he's ready to go," said McLaughlin, who is hoping the 1 1/4 miles, an

ideal pace scenario, and jockey John Velazquez will spell the difference for

Rattlesnake Bridge.

Velazquez is back aboard Rattlesnake Bridge for the first time since his

debut victory at Gulfstream Park on February 12. Following that race,

Rattlesnake Bridge was second to Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) in the Timely Writer,

fourth in the Jerome (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack on April 23, second in an

allowance on June 11 and then victorious in the Long Branch S. at Monmouth Park

on July 9.

"We're happy to have Johnny back on him because he's hard to get. He's

one-for-one on him," McLaughlin said. "He's a really nice horse and improving

all of the time. He wants the distance, and we think he'll get the distance,

especially if there's a decent pace."

After wearing blinkers in his four most recent starts, J W BLUE (Sky Mesa)

will race with blinkers off in Saturday's Travers as trainer Tony Dutrow tries

to help the colt live up to his potential.

J W Blue first wore blinkers in the Arkansas Derby (G1) in April at Oaklawn,

finishing an even sixth. After reporting home third in the Federico Tesio at

Pimlico in May, he was second in two starts at Delaware Park, missing by a head

in the Floor Show S. in June and falling short by a neck of the Barbaro S. in

July.

"I'm not seeing the blinkers help him," Dutrow said. "I've always thought,

and I'm still thinking, that J W Blue is capable of more than we have seen. I

tried blinkers to see if that would bring out the best in him. I don't feel

blinkers accomplished that. In his last two races, he made the lead, pulled

himself up (and) got beat. I just don't see the need for the blinkers. I think

he's better off without the blinkers than with them."