Commanding Curve Works for Travers

With an eye on the Grade 1 Travers, trainer Dallas Stewart gave Kentucky Derby runner-up Commanding Curve a five-furlong work over the main track on Saturday.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, the 3-year-old son of Master Command breezed in 1:01.58 on the main track, the eighth-fastest of 37 horses at the distance.

"He went very well," Stewart said. "It was a good workout. He drank a lot of water and finished up good. It will tighten him up really good. He's not a superior work horse, but he put a lot of effort in today."

Commanding Curve broke his maiden at Churchill Downs to end his 2-year-old season and is winless in five starts at 3, all in graded stakes. He was third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby prior to the Kentucky Derby, where he came from next-to-last to run second, 1 ¾ lengths behind California Chrome.

Ninth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, Commanding Curve wound up fourth behind fellow Travers contenders Wicked Strong, Tonalist and Kid Cruz in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 26.

"We've been pushing him. We're going to see what happens," Stewart said. "He's got to pick his game up. He's got to improve six, eight, 10 lengths to win. He's been strong and consistent. Throw out the Belmont and he's been knocking at the door, so we'll see what happens."

Canadian classic winner Coltimus Prime got acquainted with Saratoga's main track on Saturday, working five furlongs in 1:05 for trainer Justin Nixon. It was the first breeze for the Milwaukee Brew colt since winning the second leg of Canada's Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales Stakes, at Fort Erie on July 29.

Another Travers contender, Curlin Stakes runner-up Charge Now, went five furlongs on the Oklahoma training track in a bullet 1:01.45, fastest of 18 horses at the distance. He is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott for WinStar Farms.