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It's Tricky tunes up for Alabama; Shackleford works toward Travers Godolphin's IT'S TRICKY (Mineshaft), winner of Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Acorn S. (G1) in her last two starts, recorded her final workout in advance of next Saturday's Alabama S. (G1), breezing five furlongs in :48 4/5 over the fast track at Saratoga on Saturday. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, It's Tricky has captured five of her six career starts, establishing herself as the likely favorite for what promises to be a deep edition of the 1 1/4-mile Alabama. "She worked great and galloped out strong," McLaughlin said. "I think they have her to beat. She's won her last two, Grade 1s, and we wouldn't trade places with anyone." McLaughlin also sent out RATTLESNAKE BRIDGE (Tapit), who is readying for the $1 million Travers S. (G1) on August 27, for a five-furlong breeze in 1:02 4/5. The gray colt encountered some unexpected company at the end of his move. "It worked out great, he galloped out strong," McLaughlin said. "(The other horse hooking with him) actually was good for us because he dug back in, and I didn't have good company for him today to go in 1:01. One more work and we're all set." Rattlesnake Bridge is exiting a nose win in the July 9 Long Branch S. at Monmouth Park, his initial stakes victory, and he'll make his Grade 1 debut in the 1 1/4-mile Travers. "I look at numbers, and he fits in very well with this group," McLaughlin said. "There's a lot of them (three-year-olds) on the sidelines. It's a tough group, and not an easy race, but we fit well. He's had great progress. It's a question of whether he'll get the 1 1/4 miles, but we hope he wants to." Preakness (G1) winner SHACKLEFORD (Forestry) turned in his penultimate work for the Travers on Saturday morning, breezing six furlongs in 1:14. With exercise rider Tammy Fox aboard, the Dale Romans-trained eagerly hit the track through the gap on the far turn at 8:55 a.m. (EDT), ready to get down to business. After jogging with a pony along the outside fence, he took to the backside and galloped around easily, far from any other horses, finishing out strongly around the clubhouse turn. "This was an important work," said Romans, who personally clocked Shackleford galloping out a mile in 1:44. "This was more about endurance. I think he got a lot out of it." In his only start at the Travers distance, Shackleford finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) after setting the pace. He then bounced back and won the Preakness. In his most recent start, he finished second to possible Travers favorite Coil (Point Given) in the Haskell Invitational (G1). "He worked good," Fox said. "He galloped out good. He felt good underneath me. I just want to make sure when he jogs off he feels good. He feels the same, soundness wise (as he did during the Triple Crown campaign). His attitude is the same. He's out there playing." Before the workout, Romans said Shackleford was fit and that remaining work before the Travers was mostly about getting his mental attitude ready for the 1 1/4-mile challenge. His final serious work will likely be a five-furlong breeze next Saturday, possibly with a horse in front of him as a target to run at. "He's sharp," Romans said. "He's trained very well over this track. He hasn't missed a beat all year. He hasn't missed a work. Nothing has been postponed, which is very rare for a horse that has been through this rigorous a campaign. He didn't come back here drinking a lot of water. All he wants to do is roll around and eat grass."
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