Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Whitmore, A. P. Indian eye rematch in True North
ELMONT, N.Y. – Three weeks after finishing first and second, a half-length apart, in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint, Whitmore and A. P. Indian could meet again on the June 9 Belmont card in the Grade 2 True North.
Whitmore’s trainer, Ron Moquett, and A. P. Indian’s trainer, Arnaud Delacour, both said on Thursday they may bring back their speedsters on relatively short rest in the sixfurlong True North.
“We’re planning on working tomorrow, see what his energy level is like, and make a decision after that, but we have reserved a spot on the flight to New York next week,” said Moquett, who trains Whitmore for Robert La Penta and Southern Springs Stable.
Said Delacour of A. P. Indian: “I’d like to breeze him back Friday or Saturday and then discuss it with the owners and decide whether to run in New York next week. We have a few options, and the True North is definitely one of them.”
Whitmore has won his last five starts, overcoming a bit of an eventful trip to finally wear down A. P. Indian in the final yards of the six-furlong Maryland Sprint.
“He’s kind of fun to train,” said Moquett. “He’s very fast and very forward, and it’s come to the point where I don’t want to have him run his race in the morning, which makes me think a little more racing and a little less hard training is the way to go.
“I wouldn’t say this last race was his best of the year, but I was very proud of the way he overcame a bunch of stuff, like all the mud coming back at him in big clumps, forcing him to drift out and almost bolt at one point, and the fact he was spotting some really good horses six pounds like that. I don’t think the people have seen his very best yet.”
A. P. Indian, who won the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship in his only local outing, has been second in both of his starts since his fourthplace finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He was beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Awesome Slew in the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Keeneland to launch his 2017 campaign.
“I have no problem bringing him back in three weeks,” said Delacour. “He’s fresh, he usually bounces out of his races very well, and that timing worked fine for him last summer, when he won the Vanderbilt at Saratoga.”
If both come, Whitmore and A. P. Indian would join a True North field that is expected to include El Deal, Fellowship, Green Gratto, Holy Boss, Noholdingback Bear, Roy H, and Stallwalkin’ Dude.
One horse conspicuous by his absence from the nomination list is Unified, who has not started since finishing second, beaten a neck by Green Gratto, as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Carter at Aqueduct on April 8. Unified breezed a relatively slow five furlongs in 1:03.21 over the Belmont main track on Thursday.
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens said he considered sending Unified to the Met Mile on Belmont Day but decided against it.
“We’re just trying to get some works into him since he still has over a month to go until he runs next, which will be in the Belmont Sprint on July 4,” said Jerkens. “We thought about the Met, but you can’t hem and haw if you’re going to run in a race like that, and we just didn’t want to push it with him. Besides, a mile is still a question mark, so we came up with the plan to keep him at seven furlongs for now, run him in the Belmont Sprint, and if he runs big, back again in the Forego.”
Jerkens said he wasn’t concerned about the time of the work on Thursday, especially considering the circumstances.
“I told the kid I didn’t want a [59-second work] five weeks out from the race, and he was a little cautious,” said Jerkens. “He also had to take the overland route into the stretch around another horse galloping too near the fence and kind of lost interest after that. He thought it was time for a gallop being out there. I’m not concerned; he’s in good shape.”
Minutes earlier, Jerkens sent out the multiple stakes-placed filly Summer Reading to work an easy four furlongs in 50.23. Summer Reading is among the nominees for Thursday’s Grade 3 Intercontinental on the turf.
“She’s a longshot to run, but I just wanted to give her a little breeze to be ready just in case, or if a three-other-than pops up on an extra for her,” said Jerkens.
◗ Trainer Todd Pletcher could have as many as four of the six starters for next Friday’s Tremont Stakes, including Salmanazar, who breezed four furlongs in company in 50.14 over the training track on Thursday. Salmanazar, a 2-year-old son of Shackleford, registered a 1 1/2-length debut win at Keeneland on April 19.
Pletcher said Thursday he’s also planning on starting Admiral Jimmy, Analyze Your Luck, and Analyze the Odds in the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont.