Derby Trail Forums - The Whitney

From DRF.....

One in, one out of Whitney

Saturday's $750,000 Whitney Handicap gained one starter and lost another potential candidate when trainer Shug McGaughey confirmed that Survivalist was in and Zito said Commentator was definitely out of the Grade 1 race.

Survivalist will bring a three-race win streak into the Whitney. A homebred son of Danzig, Survivalist won the Grade 3 Gotham and was a distant second behind Bellamy Road in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at 3.

"He worked good yesterday, he went a half in 48 and change and galloped out in 1:01 and change," said McGaughey on Monday. "This is a big step up for us but we might as well give it a try. His last three races have all been good. This will be a caliber of horses he's never seen before but I think he'll be competitive with them."

Zito said he will await either the Grade 1, seven-furlong Forego here on Sept. 2 or the 1 1/8-mile Woodward the following week with Commentator, who has made only one start since finishing a distant third to Saint Liam in the 2005 Woodward.

"We considered the Whitney up until this morning, but this will give us some extra time to prepare for the next one," said Zito on Monday. "It's not that I don't think he's good enough to run in the Whitney. I just don't think he's up to it with only one race against New York-breds under his belt. My first priority is to consider doing what's best for the horse and I just can't do it right now."

Andromeda's Hero sharp in victory

Zito will still send out a pair in the Whitney with Sun King and Wanderin Boy both confirmed for the race. He may also have found himself another starter for the Woodward following Andromeda's Hero's gritty victory in Monday's third race. Andromeda's Hero raced wide and appeared hopelessly beaten at the eighth pole before surging late under jockey Cornelio Velasquez to catch Bank President in the final 40 yards of the optional claiming race.

"I was really happy with that performance," said Zito. "All good horses need a break once in a while, dropping back against softer competition, although as it turned out it wasn't so easy. But considering the circumstances I thought he ran a big race and it will be good for him down the road, not only confidence-wise but because Cornelio had to keep him in the bridle early and he should be able to keep a little closer to the pace next time."