The connections of Trappe Shot , trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for Nicholas Brady’s Mill House, remain undecided on whether they will enter their colt in the $1 million Travers (gr. I) or $250,000 King’s Bishop (gr. I), both on Aug. 28 at Saratoga.
“We had a pow-wow last night over dinner, but we’re probably going to come to a conclusion tomorrow morning,” said McLaughlin Aug. 24. “The Bradys will be out at the barn again. It’s not so cut and dry—I’d say maybe 50/50.”
McLaughlin added the colt is prepared to compete in either the 1 1/4-mile Travers or the seven-furlong King’s Bishop. Entries for both races will be taken tomorrow.
“We don’t have to ship, we don’t have to change riders, and we don’t have to change our training schedule with the two races being run here on Saturday,” said McLaughlin. “He’s fit and he’s ready to go. We just have to decide what race we’re going to enter because we can’t enter them both.”
Trappe Shot won the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park in July and was runner-up to Lookin At Lucky Aug. 1 in the Haskell Invitational (gr. I).
If he does go in the King’s Bishop, one horse Trappe Shot will face is Hal and Patti Earnhardt’s Bulldogger, trainer Bob Baffert said.
The son of Dixie Union has won two of three lifetime starts, with both victories taking place at Saratoga. The colt won his debut by 6 1/2 lengths last year in the slop at the Spa and in his most recent start effortlessly scored in a six-furlong entry-level allowance race by 4 3/4 lengths.
Baffert said he would arrive at Saratoga on Aug. 26.
Working for the King’s Bishop Aug. 24 is one of the expected favorites, D' Funnybone , who went four furlongs in :49.56 for trainer Rick Dutrow Jr.
The contentious race is also expected to include Discreetly Mine, the three-time graded stakes winner who romped by nearly nine lengths in the Amsterdam (gr. II) Aug. 2 at the Spa.
Another horse on the fence for the Travers is First Dude , who has finished in the top three in four straight grade I races including the Haskell. The Dale Romans trainee arrived at Saratoga Aug. 24 and is scheduled to gallop over the main track tomorrow.
“He handled the plane ride very well and arrived in good condition at Saratoga,” said Tammy Fox, exercise rider for the imposing 3-year-old son of Stephen Got Even. “Dale will make a decision on the Travers after we see how he goes tomorrow morning and how he handles the track."
