Travers Stakes contender Gronkowski back on the work tab

Belmont Stakes runner-up Gronkowski, who trainer Chad Brown is pointing to the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Aug. 25 at Saratoga, logged his first breeze in a month Saturday with a half-mile work in 48.09 seconds, according to DRF clocker Mike Welsch.

The 3-year-old son of Australian sire Lonhro made his first start for Brown in the final leg of the Triple Crown, where he closed late to cross the wire 1 ¾ lengths behind Justify.  Following the Belmont, Gronkowski returned to the worktab on June 23 with a 49.24-second half-mile breeze before being sidelined by a minor issue, Brown said.

Owned by Phoenix Thoroughbreds and previously trained by Jeremy Noseda, Gronkowski had raced exclusively in Europe, where he earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby after capturing the 32red Burradon at Newcastle on March 30. He was forced to skip the Run for Roses due to illness before being transferred to Brown.

Kicking off the 2018 Saratoga meet with two victories to sit atop the trainer standings at the end of Opening Day, Brown also sent a quartet of graded stakes winners to the Oklahoma turf course on Saturday morning.

With rain in the forecast beginning Saturday night into next week, Brown worked 4-year-old Chilean-bred Robert Bruce in company with 6-year-old British-bred Almanaar, with the duo breezing four furlongs in 49.55 seconds.

"We worked a lot of horses like everyone did ahead of the rain," said Brown. "I thought we had a really good morning. I was pleased."

Both Robert Bruce, who won his first start in North America capturing the Grade 3 Fort Marcy and followed with a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan, and Almanaar are targeting the Grade 1 Arlington Million on August 11.

Multiple graded stakes winner Fourstar Crook, who won the Grade 2 New York on June 8 at Belmont worked in tandem with Precieuse, completing four furlongs in 50.22.

"Robert Bruce and Almnaar are still on point for the Arlington Million," Brown said. "Fourstarcrook, we're targeting for the [Grade 1] Beverly D. and Precieuse for the De La Rose."

The $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose for older fillies and mares will be contested over one mile on the turf on Whitney Day, Saturday, August 4.

Engage, who in his last start finished second in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, breezed four furlongs in 48.55 seconds on the Saratoga main track and will be pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Amsterdam on Saturday, July 28.

Brown also reported multiple graded stakes winner Money Multiplier put in a good work on Belmont Park's main track this morning, breezing four furlongs in 50.86 seconds with the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green on July 28 his next slated start. 

Lastly, Brown reported he was hoping to send multiple graded stakes winners Rushing Fall and Significant Form to the Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid on August 18.

"Rushing Fall is doing good," Brown said. "She's not back to the track yet. We're continuing to watch her blood work, but she's going in the right direction and we're hoping to get her back under tack in a couple days and possibly trying to get her to the Lake Placid. We're also keeping Significant Form in my mind for that race as well."