Flower Alley and Reverberate, the respective first- and second-place finishers in the Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II), worked at Saratoga Monday in preparation for Saturday's Travers Stakes (gr. I).Owned by Eugene and Laura Melnyk, Flower Alley worked five furlongs in 1:00 1/5, handily, with retired Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. aboard. The work was in company with West Virginia."I liked the work a lot," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "He was well in hand and I'm glad we waited until today because we got a better track and cooler weather."Flower Alley will attempt to give trainer Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez their first Travers win.
Ashado, the heavy favorite in Friday's grade I, $400,000 Personal Ensign, worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5, handily. Originally Pletcher was going to work Ashado with Flower Alley, but decided against that."Since Ashado's race is only a few days out, I was worried she'd work too fast with Flower Alley," Pletcher said.Also on Monday, trainer Sal Russo gave Reverberate a final work over the main track, with jockey Jose Santos aboard. Reverberate, second in the Jim Dandy (gr. II), breezed four furlongs alone in :48 3/5.
"Everything went as planned and he looked good," Russo said. "He should be ready for the Travers."
Reverberate is looking to win his first stakes race in the Travers after also finishing second in the grade II Peter Pan.
