Vyjack reverts to sprinting for Vanderbilt

Grade 2 victor Vyjack could be a handful in his next start if his morning

works are any indication.

Vyjack has fired two consecutive bullet works since

arriving at Saratoga, including a half-mile in :47 on July 18, the

fastest of 76 horses. Most recently, he went five furlongs in :59 under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. on July 25, ranking first of 31 horses.

"We put him in company," trainer Rudy Rodriguez said of the Saratoga

works. "We've been running long, so we tried to sharpen him up a little bit.

Hopefully we can come back and give him another nice three-eighths. I'm trying

to work like (Hall of Fame trainer Bob) Baffert now. Hopefully, it works."

Last seen being eased in the July 5 Suburban

Handicap going 1 1/4 miles, the four-year-old Into Mischief gelding is being pointed to the

Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on the undercard of Saturday's

Grade 1, $1.5 million Whitney at the Spa.

It will mark Vyjack's fourth time sprinting in 12 career

starts and first at six furlongs. He opened his career in the fall of 2012 with

victories at 6 1/2 and seven furlongs, and began the 2014 campaign with a

seven-furlong optional claiming triumph at Aqueduct on April 27.

"We're going to shorten him up and, hopefully, that works

for us," Rodriguez said. "We don't lose anything by trying."

Vyjack opened his sophomore season by winning the Jerome and Gotham before running a narrow third in the Wood

Memorial. Failed attempts in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Haskell

Invitational followed, and he was put away until this year.

"He's got a lot of talent, for sure," Rodriguez asserted. "We

checked him out up and down. We brought a couple of doctors in here and

everything was good. He's doing very good; we're just disappointed in the way

he's running.

"It was a no-brainer. It's not working out going long. If

he runs good, there's time to get him back for the end of the meet (in the Grade

1, $500,000 Forego on August 30). We're trying, because he's working very, very

good."

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