SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The presence of Book’em Danno in next Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Vanderbilt at Saratoga may alter the expected field somewhat when entries are drawn on Sunday. One horse who is definitely going to face him, however, is Mullikin, who finished second to Book’em Danno in last month’s Grade 3 True North Stakes here.
Mullikin was scheduled to have his final workout for the Vanderbilt on Sunday at Keeneland before shipping to Saratoga, where the 5-year-old is expected to run in both the Vanderbilt and the Grade 1 Forego, a race he won by 5 3/4 lengths last summer.
Mullikin, trained by Rodolphe Brisset, has not won since taking the 2024 Forego, which capped a four-race winning streak. The son of Violence finished third as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and second to Locked in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile to end his season. In two starts this year, Mullikin finished fifth in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs before his runner-up finish in the True North.
“He’s only run twice this year. Both of his races were on sealed tracks,” Brisset said. “We’re not sure that’s his favorite type of track.”
Brisset had the option of running Mullikin here or in the Grade 1, $400,000 Bing Crosby at Del Mar on July 26. Brisset is sending World Record, winner of the Grade 2 Amsterdam here last year, to the Bing Crosby.
The Vanderbilt has the potential to come up quite strong. Nakatomi, who won this race last year when it was a Grade 1, is confirmed to run. Crazy Mason, who won the Grade 2 Carter and was third in the True North, is 50-50, according to trainer Gregg Sacco, who is also eyeing the Bing Crosby. Skelly, Damon’s Mound, Baby Yoda, Nash, and Super Chow are all possible for the Vanderbilt.
Brisset confirmed Friday that his 2-year-old filly Meringue, a winner going five furlongs on turf at Churchill Downs on June 19, will transition to dirt in the Grade 3, $175,000 Adirondack here on Aug. 3. On Friday, Meringue worked a half-mile in 47.60 seconds at Keeneland.
“I put her behind another horse. She ran through the dirt like it was nothing,” Brisset said. “We’ll try to find out if she handles dirt as well as she handled the grass.”
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