Bourbon War switching surfaces after Triple Crown series

Trainer Mark Hennig said Bourbon Lane Stable and Lake Star Stables' Bourbon War will try turf next time out, with his return possible at Saratoga.

Bourbon War, last of 10 in the Belmont Stakes, has never raced over grass but is the first foal out of My Conquestadory, who was a Grade 2 winner over the lawn at Woodbine in her career debut.

"We're probably going to the grass with him," Hennig said. "His dam was a stakes winner on grass and a miler, too. The Belmont Derby will come up too soon for him. He might run at Saratoga."

A first out graduate over the main track at Aqueduct, Bourbon War earned black type with a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park over the winter. 

Also racing for Hennig during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival was Strike Power, who put up a valiant effort in the Grade 2 True North with a second-place finish behind multiple graded stakes winner Catalina Cruiser. The True North was a second start off a layoff for Strike Power, who emerged off of an eight-month layoff last out when taking an allowance race at Gulfstream Park by five lengths.

Hennig said the Grade 1, $350,000 Vanderbilt on July 27 at Saratoga will likely mark the son of Speightstown's next start. 

"That's probably the next target," Hennig said of the Vanderbilt. "I nominated him to the [Grade 2, $300,000 John] Nerud [on July 6] but we'll probably give him a little time in between races given how hard he ran. He's doing well. He just galloped for a few days and went back to the track with some of them."

A Courtlandt Farms homebred, Strike Power earned a graded stakes win at age three taking the Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park in his second career start. Like stable mate Bourbon War, he also ran second in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.