Upstart and Samraat under consideration for Woodward

Upstart, who nosed out Effinex to finish third behind Frosted and Comfort in the Grade 1 Whitney, emerged from the race in fine fettle, trainer Rick Violette, Jr. reported Sunday morning.

"He came out of it good, tired but good. He ran hard. We tried to win it," Violette said. "We intended in being aggressive getting out of there, and we looked like we were going to be in the lead - which was not really in the plans - but we needed to be a little more aggressive. If we had ridden conservatively, maybe we would have been second. It might have cost us a placing, but he ran well."

The 4-year-old clashed with the best last year, having tangled with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah three times, finishing 18th in the Kentucky Derby, third in the Grade 1 Haskell, and fourth behind Keen Ice, American Pharoah and Frosted in the Grade 1 Travers.

This year, the son of Flatter won the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park and just prior to the Whitney was third to Frosted in that one's record-setting victory in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap.

Violette said the Grade 1 Woodward on September 3 could be under consideration for the Ralph Evans and WinStar Farm color-bearer.

"We'll nominate and monitor him," said Violette. "We were thinking the Woodward [before the Whitney] but he ran awfully hard, so four weeks might be a bit quick for him."

Violette added that the 1 1/8-mile Woodward is the next target for My Meadowview Farm's Samraat, most recently second to Effinex in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap.

"We had to skip a race, either the Whitney or the Woodward, and the Woodward might set him up better for the fall," he said.

Source: NYRA Communications