Trainer Nick Zito sent two of his three starters for the grade I, $1 million Travers Aug. 28 out for works on the main track at Saratoga Friday morning. Sir Shackleton breezed five furlongs in :59 3/5 while The Cliff's Edge went the same distance in 1:01 1/5.Tracy Farmer's Sir Shackleton worked with Carlos Correa aboard
"He kept picking it up and throwing it down," Zito said. "I'm real happy about it."
The Cliff's Edge was breezed by Correa's wife, Maxine. They went in company with Broadway View, who had jockey Shane Sellers aboard, The Cliff's Edge's regular rider.
"`Cliff' worked very nice," Zito said. "He went the last quarter in :23 and change, but did it so easy and that was our goal with `The Cliff.' I didn't want a tough work because his last two races were very tough and he's got to come back in 20 days."
Zito said his third Travers starter Birdstone will have a work within the next couple of days.
Also working toward the Travers Friday was Haskell Invitational (gr. I) winner Lion Heart, owned by Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, who worked five furlongs in :58 3/5, handily.
"He was just out there to stretch his legs," trainer Patrick Biancone said. "He's fit and ready. He just ran 12 days ago."
While Lion Heart's work was fast, his trainer is not concerned about it being too fast.
"He produced the same work before the Haskell," Biancone said. "He's 30 pounds heavier now than he was in the spring and that's not fat, all muscle. He is stronger than he was in the spring when he was just a junior athlete."