Verstappen after his Elkhorn (G2) win April 22 at Keeneland (Keeneland Photo)
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Andrew Farm, For the People Racing Stable and Windmill Manor Farm’s graded stakes winner Verstappen could come under consideration for the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer, a 1 1/2-mile turf test for older horses that awards a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Brendan Walsh, the son of War Front was a last-out second to evergreen gelding Channel Maker in the Grade 2 Bowling Green traveling 1 3/8 miles on July 30 at the Spa. There, he rallied from fourth-of-9 under Declan Cannon and improved position in the final turn, but could not reel in the pacesetting Channel Maker and was defeated two lengths.
“He came back great and ran a great race. We were delighted with him,” said Walsh. “Where we’re going to go next, I’m not sure, but the next race here would definitely be an option. We’ll find out if he’s good enough.”
The 4-year-old gelding made the grade this spring with a gusty head score in the Grade 2 Elkhorn traveling 1 1/2 miles at Keeneland. He finished off-the-board in the Grade 1 Man o’ War in May at Belmont ahead of a third-place effort in the Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial on July 8 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Verstappen was purchased for $325,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and has banked $514,607 through a record of 15-4-4-3.
