Henny Hughes, Invasor Work for McLaughlin

(from Saratoga notes)
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin had Shadwell Stable's Invasor and Zabeel Racing International's Henny Hughes on the Saratoga main track Friday morning for four-furlong workouts.

Exercise rider Bernie Dalton guided Henny Hughes in :46 1/5, handily, including finishing the last quarter in :22 4/5. Shortly after that workout, exercise rider Barry Downs breezed Invasor in :48 3/5.

Henny Hughes, who won last year's Saratoga Special (gr. II), is being pointed for the $250,000 King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-olds running seven furlongs. Invasor, a back-to-back grade 1 winner in the Pimlico Special Handicap and the Belmont Park's Suburban Handicap, is the leading contender for the $750,000 Whitney (gr. I) at nine furlongs Aug. 5.

"I told Bernie to have Henny Hughes work in :48," McLaughlin said. "When Bernie came back, I asked him how fast he thought the horse worked. He thought the horse went in :48. He's a serious and awesome horse. This was the first time Bernie was on the horse. I want Bernie to slow him down the next time. We don't need to work him fast. We know he can run. We are trying to keep him at that level."

McLaughlin plans to work Henny Hughes, who won his lone start this season in the Jersey Shore Breeders' Cup (gr. III) at Monmouth Park July 1, either three or four more times before the King's Bishop.

For Invasor, it was the third workout since winning the Suburban Handicap by 4 ¼ lengths under a hand ride from jockey Fernando Jara. McLaughlin and Jara teamed up to win the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) with Jazil.

"This was more of a maintenance work for him," McLaughlin said. "At this stage, he has flown around the world. Right now, he's that good. We're just trying to space him out."

McLaughlin's ultimate goal for Invasor is the Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I) going 1 ¼ miles at Churchill Downs Nov. 4. After the Whitney, the $500,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga on Sept. 2 or the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) at Belmont Park in Octpber would be the last prep race leading to the Breeders' Cup Classic.