Upstart Confirmed for Travers

After watching Grade 2 winner Upstart have another great morning, trainer Rick Violette confirmed that Ralph Evans and WinStar Farm's ridgling will make his next start in the Travers.

 

"He's doing great. We're going to run," Violette said. "That's the plan. American Pharoah looked fabulous, too. He looked great, but my horse is doing good, too, so we're going to take a shot."

 

"It was incredible," Violette said. "The crowd was incredibly respectful. I thought we were going to hear big roars and everything, and there were, but very respectful. When he jogged back here, everybody was quiet. They didn't want to upset him. It was pretty cool."

 

Upstart drew the rail in a 10-horse field for the 1 ¼-mile Travers and is listed at 15-1 on the morning line. He shows one win from five starts this year, the Grade 2 Holy Bull January 24 at Gulfstream Park to kick off his sophomore campaign.

 

He finished first in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth but was disqualified to second behind Itsaknockout for interference, then was second to Materiality in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. He has faced American Pharoah in two subsequent starts, running last in the Kentucky Derby May 2 and third in the Haskell three months later.

 

Violette said that Upstart will have a light gallop early Saturday morning for the Travers. He is 2-for-2 lifetime at Saratoga, breaking his maiden and winning the Funny Cide Stakes nine days apart last August, both against fellow New York-breds.

 

"It's a mile and a quarter, and American Pharoah's most difficult race was in the Derby going the mile and a quarter," Violette said. "I know even Bob Baffert is concerned when the traveling and the long, steady series of training and performances might catch up to him. Obviously, he thinks he's got his 'A' game or he wouldn't have brought him, but sometimes you don't know until the afternoon."