Union Rags , one of the top early season Triple Crown contenders, worked for the fourth time this month, breezing five furlongs in 1:02 3/5 Jan. 31 at Palm Meadows.
The son of Dixie Union clicked off splits of :25 2/3 and :37 4/5, before galloping out six furlongs in 1:15 2/5, according to DRF clockers. He is on target to make his 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 26 Fountain of Youth (gr. II).
The bay colt won three of his four starts as a juvenile, including the Saratoga Special (gr. II) and Champagne (gr. I) stakes. He missed by a head to Hansen in the Nov. 5 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I).
Trainer Michael Matz has said that he would like to run Union Rags in the Fountain of Youth and March 31 Florida Derby (gr. I) before the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Union Rags races for Phyllis Wyeth’s Chadds Ford Stable.