National Treasure (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Arabian Lion, Fort Bragg Set for G1 Allen Jerkens
Reincarnate Re-Routed to G1 Pennsylvania Derby
$200K Funny Cide Next Stop for Maiden Winner Tall Paul
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said Grade 1 Preakness winner National Treasure will ship to New York on Tuesday for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers after breezing five furlongs in 1:00.40 this morning over the main track at Del Mar.
“It went well,” said Baffert, who noted the colt breezed without blinkers and will drop the equipment for the Travers. “I was happy with him and everything went as planned. He’s doing well and we’re looking forward to it.”
To win the Travers, National Treasure will have to topple a field that features all three Classic winners for the first time since 2017 with Kentucky Derby-winner Mage and Belmont Stakes-winner Arcangelo set to line up along with the reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Forte.
“That’s what the Travers is supposed to be – it’s a major,” Baffert said.
National Treasure, by Quality Road, provided Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez his first Preakness win with a game head score over Blazing Sevens on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course. The $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase was last seen finishing a prominent sixth on June 10 in the 12-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.
National Treasure, to be ridden by Velazquez, is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan.
National Treasure will be joined on the journey by a pair of contenders for the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial in Zedan Racing Stables’ Arabian Lion [Velazquez], the last-out winner of the seven-furlong Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun, and last-out Grade 3 Dwyer-winner Fort Bragg [Joel Rosario].
Los Alamitos Derby-winner Reincarnate, who was under consideration for the Travers, was re-routed to the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on September 23 at Parx Racing.
Both of Baffert’s Jerkens contenders breezed five furlongs Friday at Del Mar with Arabian Lion working a bullet 59.20 seconds from the gate and Fort Bragg covering the distance in 59.60.
Fort Bragg, owned by the same connections as National Treasure, sports a ledger of 8-2-2-2 for purse earnings of $321,300. By Tapit, the $700,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase was a game second in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on May 6 at Churchill Downs ahead of his nose score over Saudi Crown in the one-turn mile Dwyer on July 1 at Belmont Park.
Arabian Lion, by Baffert’s Triple Crown winner Justify, was purchased for $600,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. He has banked $437,600 through a 7-3-2-0 record led by wins in the restricted Sir Barton on Preakness Day at Pimlico and his last out Woody Stephens score on the Belmont Stakes Day card that garnered a lofty 109 Beyer Speed Figure.
Tall Paul, named for Paul Weitman, who co-owns the New York-bred Frosted colt with Michael Pegram and Karl Watson, was an impressive second-out winner here on August 12 and will target next Sunday’s six-furlong $200,000 Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital as part of the New York Showcase Day card.
Bred in the Empire State by Jeff Treadway, Tall Paul made every pole a winning one in the six-furlong state-bred maiden special weight and garnered a 68 Beyer with Joel Rosario at the helm.
“He came back out of his race well,” Baffert said. “He’s doing well and that’s a nice spot against New York-breds. It was nice to win that day.”
