West Will Power (Bernardini), a last-out winner of the GI Stephen Foster S., worked five furlongs in 1:02.24 (1/4) in company with the stakes-placed Tapit Shoes (Tapit) for trainer Brad Cox over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Saturday.
West Will Power, owned and bred by Gary and Mary West, is under consideration for either next Saturday's GI Whitney S. or the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 2 at the Spa.
“It's a very prestigious race. It means a lot,” Cox said of the Whitney. “We'll see how things unfold after this work and make a decision a little bit later. We'll speak with the West team and come up with a plan.”
The Cox-trained Verifying (Justify), a narrow winner of the GIII Indiana Derby, worked a half mile in :48.75 (13/53) in company with the maiden Fighting Back (Lookin At Lucky) over the Oklahoma training track.
Cox said that Verifying will point to the seven-furlong GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Aug. 26 at Saratoga.
“He went a really good half. I wasn't looking to do a whole lot with him, but he was on it,” Cox said. “He was ready to do something.”
Charge It Breezes for Whitney…
'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit), a front-running winner of the GII Suburban S. last out downstate, worked a half mile in :48.77 (28/101) Saturday morning over the main track in his final tune up for next Saturday's Whitney.
“I thought it was excellent,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He did it well in hand and looked good doing it. I've been very pleased with the way he's trained since the Suburban.”
Pletcher continued, “He's a horse that's always trained really strongly and shown hints that he's capable to run a big race. His (GIII) Dwyer was brilliant. His Suburban, I thought, was his most professional race. He's starting to put it all together consistently. It's a very tall order going up against the best older horses in training, but we're happy with the way he's coming into it.”
Pletcher added that fellow 'Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), fifth in the GI Haskell, will target the GI Travers S. Aug. 26.
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