Preakness S. (G1) winner CURLIN (Smart Strike), readying for his next
appearance in the $1 million Haskell Invitational S. (G1) on August 5 at
Monmouth Park, worked
five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 1/5 over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track on
Tuesday. Runner-up by a head in the Belmont S. (G1), the well-built chestnut
colt is also being pointed toward the $1 million Travers S. (G1) on August 25 at Saratoga.
Curlin highlighted a group of three-year-olds working for trainer Steve
Asmussen on Tuesday.
Unbeaten TIZ WONDERFUL (Tiznow) logged six furlongs in 1:14 over the fast
Oklahoma oval. Three-for-three last season, Tiz Wonderful hasn’t raced since
winning the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) last November by a half-length over Any
Given Saturday (Distorted Humor). He’ll return to action in the July 29 Jim
Dandy S. (G2) at Saratoga, where he could possibly face Kentucky Derby (G1) hero
and Preakness runner-up Street Sense (Street Cry [Ire]).
Grade 1-placed ZANJERO (Cherokee Run), second by a neck in the Northern
Dancer Breeders’ Cup S. (G3) last out, covered the same ground as Curlin in 1:01
3/5. The dark bay colt could be headed to the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (G3)
on August 4. FORTY GRAMS (Distorted Humor), who exits a 1 3/4-length score in
the Alysheba Breeders’ Cup S. at Lone Star Park, turned five-eighths in 1:02 2/5
in advance of a possible start in the West Virginia Derby.
In Kentucky, Jefferson Cup S. (G2) winner INCA KING (Sir Cat) traveled four
furlongs in :49 3/5 over Keeneland’s Polytrack. Unbeaten since switching to turf
three starts back, the speedy colt will stretch out to 10 furlongs in Saturday’s $1 million Virginia Derby (G2).