Declan fires bullet; Mentor Cane on course for King's Bishop

Declan fires bullet; Mentor Cane on course for King's

Bishop

With Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in the irons, Declan's Warrior fired

a bullet five-furlong work in :59 2/5 on Saratoga's fast main track Thursday

morning in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 King's Bishop on August 24.

"I was very happy, very excited," said Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who

trains the Majestic Warrior three-year-old for his wife Kim's Lucky Shamrock

Stable.

"Johnny worked him, which is also a plus. We've won a lot of big races

together. It's like a golden rule in our barn; if Todd (Pletcher) doesn't have

anything in the race, we try to get him. He fit him perfectly and the horse

worked terrific for him. It was a delight to watch today. He was gliding out

there."

Most recently a closing fifth in the July 28 Amsterdam at the Spa, beaten 3

3/4 lengths by winner Forty Tales, Declan's Warrior is 4-2-0 from seven career

starts. The King's Bishop will be his fourth start at seven furlongs; he won the

Bay Shore and the Gygistar overnight stakes on May 22 at Belmont Park at the

distance, as well as finishing second to Forty Tales in the Woody Stephens on

June 8 at Belmont.

"Seven-eighths is his distance; hopefully it works for him," Zito said. "I'm

sure the race will have plenty of speed, it usually does."

In other King's Bishop news, trainer John Shirreffs reported that

lightly-raced Mentor Cane remains on course for his Grade 1 debut.

The three-year-old Mizzen Mast colt returned to the worktab this week for the

first time since finishing fourth in his stakes debut in the Amsterdam. On

Sunday, he went a half-mile in :49 3/5 over the Oklahoma training track with

Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado aboard.

"He worked very well," Shirreffs said of the colt, owned by Jerry and Ann

Moss. "(Prado) put him behind a horse and he went by on the inside, so he was

very happy with him."

In the Amsterdam, Mentor Cane raced on the lead early before bearing out

around the turn and coming well wide into the stretch. Running down the middle

of the track, he wound up beaten only 2 1/2 lengths by closer Forty Tales.

"It was very unusual because he has lugged in before, but he's never gone

out," Shirreffs said. "Edgar said he was coming into the turn and he said, 'I'll

just take him out a little bit in case he tries to get in.' I think when he took

him out, the horse grabbed the outside of the bit and just decided he was going

to Union Avenue.

"(In the King's Bishop), I hope there will be somebody in front of him," he

added. "I think with somebody in front of him, his focus will be on something

other than what he's going to do with the bit."

Shirreffs is still looking for a spot for Eblouissante, a half-sister to

Zenyatta who lost for the first time in three lifetime starts when sixth in the

Shuvee Handicap at Saratoga on July 20 after acting up in the starting gate.

"She's good. She's been galloping and going to the gate, and she's doing

fine," Shirreffs said. "It took about 10 days (to recover) because she was

banged up a little and sore, but everything has smoothed out. The timing of the

condition book will determine what we do. Obviously, I'd like to run her up here

before we leave."

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com