Over the course of the past week, D. Wayne Lukas had indicated that it was very likely that GI Preakness winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate) would stay put and run in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga July 27 rather than ship to the Jersey Shore for Monmouth's GI Haskell Stakes one week earlier. Gainesway Farm announced that it had secured the breeding rights in the Classic winner last week.
“Since the breeding rights have gotten involved with this horse, there's so much more involvement in far as the bonuses and incentives are concerned, so the Jim Dandy and Travers makes more sense,” Lukas told DRF Tuesday. “And we don't have to travel. I kind of like that too.”
In his penultimate move prior to next week's Jim Dandy, the grey worked six furlongs in 1:11.90 over Saratoga's main track Tuesday. In his latest start, the colt finished seventh in the GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga June 8.
“I didn't care too much for the way he ran on the main track in the Belmont,” Lukas told DRF. “They tell me it was a lot deeper and looser that day, but it's much tighter now that they got the water in it. So I was really pleased to see the way he moved over the track today. His action over it this morning was excellent.”
He added, “Anytime you break 1:12, that's serious. Especially in the morning with an exercise rider. We were pleased. I think we got what we needed. We'll get another work in at Oklahoma before the Jim Dandy and move forward off of this. I feel good about it.”
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