"He went good," trainer Dallas Stewart said of the son of Peaks and Valleys, who was fourth in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in his last start. "I caught him galloping out (six furlongs) in (one) eleven and change. I know he hasn't raced in a while but he's got a handful of three-quarter works in him. It's a nice foundation. He fits with these. I think everyone is a little scared of Point Given. He's a great horse."Also Sunday, trainer Richard Violette Jr. added Free of Love to the Travers mix after the son of Meadow Flight breezed six furlongs in 1:12."We're going to run him," Violette said. "As long as he passes the racing 101 stuff. He needs a good bill of health to run next week." Violette said Free of Love would be ridden by Pat Day in the Travers. Richard Migliore, who was aboard Free of Love when he finished within a half-length winner Scorpion in the Jim Dandy, has committed to ride Volponi in the Travers. "It's a logical move," Violette said. "Pat won on the horse over the winter at Gulfstream (allowance race on February 17) He knows him."Meanwhile, Scorpion breezed four furlongs over the Oklahoma training track in :48 3/5 in his final prep for the Travers. The training track was labeled "fast," but NYRA reported the strip was producing slow times."We just wanted him to open up his lungs a little bit and stretch his legs," said trainer D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall of Famer who has saddled two Travers winners. "He's ready. He had a good work last week and we'll just take it easy up to the race. He's got the mile-and-an-eighth race under his belt. Horses that run 1-2 in the Jim Dandy usually come back to run well in the Travers. He's trained well and he's got no excuses. If he's good enough, he'll make some noise. We should get a good run out of him."If Point Given runs in the Travers (a decision by trainer Bob Baffert was expected after a Monday workout at Del Mar), Lukas would need to find another jockey to replace Gary Stevens. Jerry Bailey, who was aboard Scorpion in his last two starts--both wins--has the call on E Dubai.
"I hope he comes," Lukas said of Point Given. "But I don't think he's coming."