El Deal will bypass Forego

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Jorge Navarro said Sunday that El Deal was “on the quiet side” at his Monmouth Park base but otherwise exited his eight-length triumph in Saturday’s Grade 2 Vanderbilt at Saratoga in good order.

“He’s tired today, but I don’t blame him,” Navarro said. “He just ran the biggest race of his life, got a 112 Beyer Speed Figure, and he’s pretty knocked out. But he ate up after the race, and from all appearances, he’s come out of it just fine.”

Navarro reiterated Sunday what he said immediately after the Vanderbilt: that he will bypass the seven-furlong Forego here next month with El Deal and look for something at six furlongs and somewhere “in the middle” for El Deal’s final start prior to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

“I’ll be looking at the Vosburgh,” Navarro said, referring to the six-furlong, Grade 1 dash at Belmont Park on Sept. 30. “But that race is only five weeks before the Breeders’ Cup and might be a little close since I like to run him fresh. So, if I can find something suitable a little before that, we could shoot for that instead.”

Navarro said he didn’t know what to expect when he brought El Deal over for the Vanderbilt, although he didn’t expect a runaway victory. Javier Castellano rode El Deal in the Vanderbilt.

“I thought we could run second or third, and if he won, it would be like a neck or something,” said Navarro, who said El Deal was purchased privately by owners Michelle and Albert Crawford for a bargain $80,000 following his ninth-place finish in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint in January.

“The first thing Javier said to me after the race was, ‘Wow!’ But I don’t think the horses we beat yesterday were the best sprinters in the nation. I think we still have another level to climb with him before we reach the top.”

Coal Front has options

Though Coal Front most likely will make his next start in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on Aug. 26 at Saratoga, trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday that he will keep all options open regarding the undefeated 3-year-old’s next start.

Coal Front ran his record to 3 for 3 with a 1 1/2-length victory in last Saturday’s Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga. He has won his first three starts by a combined 10 3/4 lengths. Coal Front, a son of 2011 Travers winner Stay Thirsty, earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure for the Amsterdam.

Pletcher said the Allen Jerkens “would make sense” but added, “We’ll see how he does, keep all our options open for the moment.”

Coal Front has common ownership with Tapwrit, who is pointing to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on the Aug. 26 card.

Plans for Hunter O’Riley

When trainer Jimmy Toner entered Hunter O’Riley in last Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Handicap at Saratoga, he said he would have been happy had the horse finished third.

But third wasn’t good enough for the horse himself, who rallied by Bigger Picture and Sadler’s Joy late to win the Bowling Green by a neck.

“Thrilled to death for him,” Toner said. “The horse tries all the time. He just gives you everything he’s got. It worked out good – he got there. Great trip, great ride, and we got lucky.”

While the Bowling Green is the prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer here on Aug. 26, Toner said that race “is a little salty.” Instead, he may look to run Hunter O’Riley, a Kentucky-bred son of Tiz Wonderful, in the Grade 3, $600,000 Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 9.

Hunter O’Riley earned a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure in the Bowling Green.

Frostmourne eyes Secretariat

Frostmourne, who rolled to a six-length victory in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park on July 15, most likely will make his next start in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 12, trainer Christophe Clement said Sunday.

On Sunday at Saratoga, Frostmourne worked a half-mile in 49.58 seconds in company with Disco Partner, whom Clement is pointing to the Grade 1 Fourstardave here on Aug. 12.

Frostmourne began the move a length behind Disco Partner, tracked him through a quartermile in 26.17 seconds, and then came home in 23.41, with a fivefurlong gallop-out in 1:01.20.

“It was the type of work I like to see, which is start slow and finish strong without being too aggressive,” Clement said.

Disco Partner won the Forbidden Apple Stakes and the Grade 3 Jaipur in his last two starts.

Clement said that while his first objective with Frostmourne is the Secretariat, if he thinks the horse needs more time, he could wait until the Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac at Saratoga on Sept. 2.

Pure Sensation, whom Clement is pointing to Sunday’s $250,000 Troy Handicap at Saratoga, worked three furlongs in 36.22 seconds over the Oklahoma training track.