Aqueduct Racetrack Notes | |
| By NYRA Press Office | April 18, 2009 |
Kentucky Derby hopeful Quality Road was in fine form Saturday morning, one day after turning in a bullet six-furlong work on Belmont Park’s training track. “He’s fine, everything is good,” said trainer Jimmy Jerkens, adding that the Grade 1 Florida Derby winner will have one more work, either Saturday or Sunday, before departing next Tuesday for his engagement in the May 2 Kentucky Derby. “I don’t have everything scheduled minute-by-minute, except for the Derby itself,” said Jerkens. “A million different things go into it. If it’s nice tomorrow, he may go for a walk along the horse path with the pony.” Under exercise rider Juan Moreno on Friday morning, the 3-year-old son of Elusive Quality zipped three-quarters in 1:12.03, the fastest of six at the distance, while Daily Racing Form clockers caught him galloping out in 1:25.55. Jerkens said the slight quarter crack in Quality Road’s right hind foot has not presented a problem since being being patched on April 8 by noted hoof specialist Ian McKinlay, who also treated last year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown and 1997 Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold. A quarter crack is a crack that appears in the wall of the hoof, often starting at the coronet band, where the hoof meets the hair, and growing down. It can also start in the wall and move upward. That, and the fact Quality Road lost some weight following his track record performance in the Florida Derby, in which he covered the nine furlongs in 1:47.72, both appear to be issues that are behind him, "It looks like he put some flesh back on and the foot looks like it's in good shape, so we should be in good shape,'' Jerkens said. Quality Road heads into the Kentucky Derby with a record of 3-1-0 from four starts and earnings of $632,830 for owner/breeder Edward P. Evans. Whirlaway and Count Fleet winner Haynesfield, eighth behind likely Kentucky Derby favorite I Want Revenge in the Grade 3 Gotham, is scheduled to resume training shortly at Belmont Park with an eye toward a possible summer campaign. "He's had some R and R," said assistant trainer Toby Sheets of the 3-year-old New York-bred son of Speightstown. "We'll bring him back slowly; we don't have anything specific picked out for him." Haynesfield, owned by Turtle Bird Stable, broke his maiden at Belmont Park last September in his second start, then closed out his 2-year-old campaign with a victory in the Damon Runyon Stakes before taking on open company this year. "We'll let the others knock themselves out and have him ready for the summer," said Sheets. What a Pear, whose four-race win streak was snapped when she finished off the board in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland, will return to the races on May 3 at Belmont Park in the $100,000 Bouwerie for three-year-old New York-bred fillies going seven furlongs. The state-bred daughter of E Dubai, who won the Wistful and Busher Stakes at Aqueduct, will use the Bouwerie as a springboard to the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico Race Course on Friday, May 15. “She did not care for the (artificial surface) at Keeneland at all,” said Russell Cohen, whose mother, Bernice, races the filly for her Tri-Bone Stable. “She’s doing very well now and I look forward to her running at Belmont.” West Point Thoroughbreds’ Mr. Fantasy worked five furlongs in 1:01.11 Saturday morning on Belmont Park’s main track as he prepped for the Grade 3, $150,000 Withers Stakes at a mile at Aqueduct on April 25. The 3-year-old son of E Dubai, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, finished third in the Gotham Stakes on March 7 behind likely Kentucky Derby favorite and Grade 1 Wood Memorial winner I Want Revenge and Imperial Council in his last start after two victories.
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