SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is sending a strong contingent to Saratoga Race Course for Travers Day next Saturday. But he won't have a runner in the marquee event, the GI DraftKings Travers Stakes.
Baffert said Wednesday that he is keeping 'TDN Rising Star' Goal Oriented (Not This Time) in California. He had originally been planning on shipping the lightly raced colt East but nixed that idea after Goal Oriented worked at Del Mar on Friday.
He went seven furlongs in a 1:23.80 (1/2).
“He breezed nice, but not to my standards,” Baffert said by phone Wednesday afternoon from California. “I decided I wanted to wait. I thought it was a little too much coming back.”
Goal Oriented, unraced as a 2-year-old, has started four times this year. After winning his first two starts, he was fourth in the GI Preakness Stakes at Pimlico after being involved in a bumping incident in the stretch and followed that up with a third in the GI Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in his last start July 19.
Both of those races were won by Journalism (Curlin).
“[The Travers] is a very tough race,” Baffert said. “A mile and a quarter can be tough on them.”
The next likely start for Goal Oriented will be the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Sept. 20.
Goal Oriented is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan.
Hope Road wins the GIII Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar | Benoit
Although he will be sitting out the Travers, Baffert's presence will be felt next weekend. He is pointing Hope Road (Quality Road) to the GI Resorts World Casino Ballerina Stakes and could have as many as four runners in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes.
Hope Road, owned by Cicero Farms, won four of five starts as a 3-year-old and is winless in three tries this year with a pair of seconds and a third.
Baffert said that Zedan Racing Stables's Barnes (Into Mischief), Madaket Road (Quality Road)–owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan–and Edward Childs's Midland Money (Shancelot), were potential shippers.
A fourth possible Jerkens starter could be Gaming (Game Winner), who is owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.
Barnes would be making his first start since a fifth-place finish in the GI Santa Anita Derby in April. Madaket Road has one win in seven career starts, but has hit the board five other times, including a second in the GI Woody Stephens Stakes in his last start, which came at Saratoga in June.
Midland Money, the only one of the group that is on the grounds, is 2-for-2 in his career. He won an allowance here Aug. 3 by 3 1/4 lengths.
He worked four furlongs on Saratoga's main track on Monday in 48.83 (6/12)
“Right now, everything looks like a go,” Baffert said of the first three for the Jerkens. “I am debating what to do with Gaming. I go by the last works [this weekend]. I could change my mind and not bring any. You never know.”
No Travers For Gosger, Walsh Wants To Give Colt More Time
One of these days, Gosger (Nyquist) is going to win a big race.
It won't be a week from Saturday when the Travers.
His trainer, Brendan Walsh, confirmed what was pretty much expected when he said Wednesday that the colt would not be running in the Midsummer Derby.
“We are going to skip it and give him a little more time,” Walsh said from by phone from Kentucky Wednesday morning. “The Travers is too soon for him.”
Gosger before the Haskell | Sarah Andrew
Gosger has run back-to-back courageous races only to come up just short. In the Preakness and Haskell, he was run down late by Journalism. In the former, Gosger and jockey Luis Saez looked home free as they built a five-length lead in deep stretch but got run down.
Last month, Gosger and Goal Oriented engaged in a stretch duel at Monmouth and Journalism got past them both in the Haskell.
For his career, Gosger–named for former major league baseball player Jim Gosger–has two wins and three seconds in five starts. He won the GIII Lexington Stakes in April after breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park in February.
“He hasn't done anything wrong since he started,” Walsh said. “His last two races have been very good; he just got beat by a very, very good horse. We have taken it nice and easy all year and have picked his spots. I think, mainly, he is going to be a horse for next year.”
Walsh said there is no immediate target for Gosger, owned by Harvey Clarke Racing Stables. The Pennsylvania Derby could be an option.
Gosger has worked three times since the Haskell, all at Churchill Downs. In his most recent work, he went five furlongs in 1:00.60 (7/52) last Saturday.
“We will see how he does in his next two works and go from there,” Walsh said. “Right now, everything [except the Travers] is in the cards. This is an exceptionally good year [for 3-year-olds] and there were three or four or five good colts around and I think he is one of them. He will have his time … hopefully before too long.”
Shug Feels Like A Million After Two Solid Performances At Colonial
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey was still accepting congratulations as he stood outside his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Wednesday morning.
Behind him, inside adjoining stalls at the barn, were his two heroes from last weekend's GI Arlington Million Stakes.
Fort Washington (War Front) won the 1 1/4-mile race on the Colonial Downs turf by a half-length over Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) at odds of 5-1; stablemate Integration (Quality Road) was third as the 3-5 favorite.
Owned by Magic Cap Stables, Fort Washington won for the third time in five starts this year. The 6-year-old won a pair of GIII races–the Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico May 17 and the Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park March 1.
“That horse had trained really well,” McGaughey said. “I thought he would have a big chance. His races had been really, really good.”
Fort Washington (outside0 of stablemate Integration working at the Spa Aug. 1 | Sarah Andrew
In his prior start, the GII Wise Dan Stakes at Churchill Downs June 28. He finished fourth, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths.
McGaughey was encouraged by Fort Washington's four-furlong turf work at Saratoga, which went in :49.97 (12/42) on Aug. 1.
“I wanted to work him before I made up my mind,” McGaughey said. “He worked well, and I decided to give him a chance.”
As far as what might be next for Fort Washington, McGaughey said he really does not know.
“I'm not evading the question,” he said. “I just have no idea.”
Integration, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing LLC, has three seconds and a third in five starts this year. All five of his starts have been in Grade I races this year.
He will be leaving Saratoga on Friday, bound for Kentucky.
“He is going to get a little time,” McGaughey said. “He's been going a long time and think he needs a little break.”
He said the goal for the 5-year-old will be to get a race into him before running in the 2026 GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream, a race he lost by a neck to Spirit of St. Louis (Medaglia d'Oro) this year.
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