SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Sovereignty, the reigning Horse of the Year, picked up the pace in his preparation for the Grade 1, $2 million Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 28 with a five-furlong workout in 1:01.21 Sunday morning over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track.
Sovereignty began the work at the half-mile pole about three lengths behind stablemate Bendoog. Under exercise rider Neil Poznansky, Bendoog dictated the work going an opening quarter in 24.44 seconds with Sovereignty, ridden by Jimmy Quispe, still tracking him. Bendoog was seemingly traveling easier of the two as Quispe was nudging on Sovereignty in the stretch.
Sovereignty closed within a neck of Bendoog at the wire, completing a half-mile in 48.21 seconds. He continued out a furlong past the wire in 1:01.21 and was credited with the five-furlong time. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.73. Bendoog was credited with a half-mile move in 48.70 seconds.
“Just get a useful work in him, give him a target, which it looked like it was pretty good to me,” trainer Bill Mott said. “The other horse in front of him is not a bad horse.”
Bendoog, a 7-year-old son of Gun Runner, is coming off an allowance race at Oaklawn in which he dead-heated for the win with Stronghold, who was entered in Sunday’s Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita. Bendoog is entered in a stakes-caliber allowance race going 1 1/8 miles on Friday at Saratoga. That field includes stakes winners Full Screen, Cooke Creek and Brotha Kenny.
Also Sunday, Mott worked Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Gezora, who went a half-mile in 50.90 seconds over the training track, per Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. Gezora, recently transferred by owner Peter Brant to Mott from Chad Brown, is entered in Friday’s Grade 1, $750,000 New York Stakes at Saratoga.
“She’s easy to train, she’s been straightforward, uncomplicated,” Mott said.
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