After Saturday breeze, Cox says Verifying will cut back in Jerkens

Verifying, last-out winner of the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Derby (G3), will point to the seven-furlong, Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on Aug. 26 at Saratoga after working a half-mile in 48.75 seconds Saturday morning over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga.

“He went a really good half. I wasn't looking to do a whole lot with him, but he was on it,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He was ready to do something. It was his first work since the Indiana Derby. We’re looking at the seven-eighths race on Travers day.”

Owned by Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, the 3-year-old son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify graduated on Travers day last year at Saratoga and came back to run second in the Champagne (G1) in October at Belmont at the Big A. He completed his 2-year-old campaign with an off-the-board effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Keeneland.

The $775,000 Keeneland September yearling-sale purchase tried the Triple Crown trail this spring, finishing a close second to Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland ahead of an off-the-board effort as the pacesetter in the Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs. He exited that effort to finish a close second to Disarm in the Matt Winn (G3) in June at Ellis Park ahead of making the grade at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

The regally-bred Verifying, a half-brother to 2019 Champion Older Dirt Female Midnight Bisou, is out of the graded stakes-winning Repent mare Diva Delite.

Also on the work tab Saturday for Cox was Godolphin’s dual Grade 1-winning Kentucky homebred Matareya, who went a half-mile in 48.55 on the Oklahoma Training Track.

The 4-year-old Pioneerof the Nile bay notched her Grade 1 wins in the Acorn last June at Belmont Park and the Derby City Distaff in May at Churchill Downs.