Alpha, Atigun limber up for Jim Dandy

Alpha, who has been targeting next Saturday's Grade 2 Jim Dandy since a fever forced

him to miss the Belmont Stakes, breezed four furlongs in :49 2/5 on

Saratoga's fast main track Saturday with exercise rider Robert Massey aboard.

"He worked fast last week (five furlongs in a bullet :58 4/5 on July 14), so we

were looking for him to go an easy :49 today," trainer Kiaran McLaughli saidn.

"His ears were pricked and he was happy, so we're happy. He's doing very well."

Owned by Godolphin Racing, Alpha won the Grade 3 Withers and was second by a

neck in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack before going on to

finish 12th in the Kentucky Derby. He has

been training at Saratoga since June.

Jim Dandy contender Atigun, who finished a good third in the June 9 Belmont,

zipped five-eighths in a bullet 1:00 4/5 at the Spa. The Ken McPeek pupil posted

the best of 33 works at the distance on the main track.

Trainer Michael Matz reported that Teeth of the Dog, winner of the

Easy Goer on Belmont Day and the Grade 2 Dwyer at the track 21 days later,

exercised at his Fair Hill base Saturday.

"He'll go in the Jim Dandy or Haskell (Grade 1 at Monmouth July 29)," Matz said.

"He'll do one of those two and it's probably the Jim Dandy. He worked five

furlongs in 1:02 this morning and did it very nicely, and he'll probably ship in

this week."

Others expected to point for the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy are Wood Memorial

winner Gemologist, Dwyer

runner-up Fast Falcon, Grade 3 Matt Winn victor Neck 'n Neck and Grade 3 Ohio

Derby winner Prospective. Love to Run and My Adonis are questionable.

While the Jim Dandy is the key local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Travers

on August 25, the $100,000 Curlin on Friday could yield a contender for the

"Midsummer Derby."

Likely for the 1 1/8-mile Curlin are Ever So Lucky, recent allowance winner at

Delaware Park for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard; Street Life and Five

Sixteen, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Belmont Stakes; Love to Run,

winner of an allowance at Belmont last time out, and the Shug McGaughey-trained

Reload, who missed by a neck after being checked at the start on June 16 at

Belmont. Also probable are Csaba and Dynamical, according to NYRA stakes

coordinator Andrew Byrnes, with Morgan's Guerilla and My Adonis questionable.

On July 29, sophomore sprinters will contest the Grade 2 Amsterdam, a

stepping stone to the Grade 1 King's Bishop on the Travers undercard. The 6

1/2-furlong  dash likely will feature last year's Grade 1 Hopeful

winner Currency Swap, most recently second to Trinniberg in the Grade 2 Woody

Stephens; Doctor Chit, winner of the Western

Larla overnight stakes last time out; Laurie's Rocket, ninth in the Woody

Stephens, and Unbridled's Note, winner of an optional claimer at Churchill Downs

on June 17. Drago's Best, Fort Loudon, Gun Boat and Il Villano are

questionable.

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