Apart Works in Company for Whitney
Trainer Al Stall made the most of his 13 starts last year at Saratoga, winning four races, including the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap with Blame and taking a maiden special weight with J. B.’s Thunder, who went on to win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.
On Friday, Apart, Stall’s 2011 Whitney hopeful, and J. B.’s Thunder earned bullets for their 1:00.20 five-furlong breeze in company.
Adele B. Dilschneider’s Apart, whose career has included triumphs in the 2010 Grade 2 Super Derby and Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap and the 2011 William Donald Schaefer Memorial, will attempt to give his connections their second straight victory in the Whitney, scheduled for August 6.
“Apart needed a semi-strong work, and we have a bunch of babies here and I wanted a decent older horse with him, and J. B. was the only one who fit,” said Stall. “Apart galloped out real strong after J. B. peeled away from him. We’re on schedule for August 6.”
Stall believes the 4-year-old, second most recently in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 18, could take control of the older male division if he makes a forward progression in the Whitney.
“He needs a couple more lengths, and that can happen with his pedigree and the type of horse he is,” said Stall “We’re looking for the horse to improve as the year goes on, and we think that’s the direction he’s going in.”
A victory by Apart in the Whitney would make Stall the third trainer in the past 57 years to pick up consecutive Whitney scores. The two trainers to hold that distinction are Hall of Famers Shug McGaughey, who won the race in 1988 with Personal Ensign and 1989 with Easy Goer, and Scotty Schulhofer, who captured the race in 1995 with Colonial Affair and 1996 with Unaccounted For.
“If you look at the list, it’s real short,” said Stall.
Stall added that J. B.’s Thunder, unraced since finishing ninth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in November, will likely make his return in a turf allowance toward the end of the meet for owner Columbine Stable.
“He’s coming back fine,” said Stall. “We just took our time with him.”