Frammento Completes Travers Preparations
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After a blazing half-mile over the main track last week, Mossarosa's Grade 2-placed Frammento returned to the Oklahoma training track in his final work for the Travers.
The chestnut son of Midshipman went four furlongs in 49.11 seconds under exercise rider and assistant trainer Maxine Correa, fifth-fastest of 48 at the distance. On August 15, Frammento went a half in 46.80.
"I thought he was pretty good," Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito said. "The clockers thought he went well. He had that fast work last week and we wanted to kind of get that stamina, so we worked him on the training track. He was blowing a little bit; the track was heavy. It worked out OK. We're happy about it. If he hangs in there, we'll see what happens."
Frammento has done most of his work at Oklahoma, and Zito said he would likely bring him back to the main track leading up to the Travers.
"I think if I took him over to the main track he would have done the same thing [as last week], but he already showed us that," he said. "I'll probably train a few days over the main track and let him fool around just because he liked it over there. Fitness-wise, I think we've got him right. We know he'll like the distance, so we'll see what happens."
Zito is still waiting to firm up a rider for the Travers. Most recently, Jose Lezcano was aboard for a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy August 1, the colt's seventh rider in 10 starts.
"I think Monday we'll find out," Zito said. "There's a few riders that have expressed they want to ride him, so that's always good. I know it's a big race so I'll talk to the owners about it and kick it around and see what happens."
This will be the 19th Travers for Zito, but first since running third with Fast Falcon in 2012. He ran multiple horses in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010, winning with Birdstone in 2004.
"[The owners] feel sometimes you have to take a shot," he said. "They believe in what we do. As long as the horse is good, knock wood, I'm sure he'll be entered."
Source: NYRA Communications
Source: NYRA Communications
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