Horse racing: Zito pointing talented stablemates to Travers

Da’ Tara, upset winner of the Belmont Stakes, and stablemate Anak Nakal, who dead-heated for third behind him, returned to training last Saturday morning in Saratoga Springs, with both horses breezing a half-mile on the fast Oklahoma training track.

Da’ Tara went in 51.00, and Anak Nakal was timed in 51.22.

Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito told the New York Racing Association that he was pleased with the moves, and said, “We are happy with their progression.”

Both horses are being pointed toward the 139th running of the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on

Aug. 23, and Zito said that they’ll both use the 45th edition of the Grade II Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 27 as a prep.

“That had been my plan with Da’ Tara, the Jim Dandy and the Travers,” Zito said. “I spoke with [Four Roses Thoroughbreds owner] Kassem Masri about Anak

Nakal, and he said it would be fine. So that’s what we’d like to do with both of them.”

The last three Jim Dandy winners, Street Sense, Bernardini and Flower Alley, went on to win the Travers.

Macho Again, who was fifth in the Belmont, also had his first work since the race, going a half-mile in 51.00 at Churchill Downs. Trainer Dallas Stewart said the next goal for the colt will be the Jim Dandy.

“He looked excellent, and he’s doing really well,” Stewart said to NYRA. “We’re looking at the Jim Dandy. The Travers? That would be great.”

Big Brown, the vanquished

Triple Crown aspirant, also got back to work on Wednesday, breezing a slow five furlongs on the fast Aqueduct main track in 1:06.73 as he begins to gear up for his next start, likely the Haskell at Monmouth Park.

The Big Brown camp, in particular trainer Richard Dutrow, has not publicly ruled out the Travers.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner hit the track about

5:45 a.m. with regular exercise rider Michelle Nevin aboard.

“It was no big deal, a nice easy breeze,” Dutrow told The Associated Press. “I told Michelle not to go too fast. He looks like he’s good.”

Dutrow said the 3-year-old colt’s feet, including the cracked hoof patched the day before the Belmont, are in fine shape.

“Everything looks good. The quarter crack is long gone,” he said.

stakes schedule

Indian Blessing, the 2007 champion 2-year-old filly, will cut back to six furlongs in the Grade I Prioress today at Belmont.

Indian Blessing set a hot pace, then finished second to Zaftig in the Grade I one-mile Acorn on Belmont Stakes Day.

She broke her maiden in her

career debut at Saratoga last year, and was undefeated in five starts before finishing second in the Fair Ground Oaks on March 8, followed by her Acorn runner-up.

There are three Grade I’s scheduled at Hollywood Park, including the Vanity, which will feature the undefeated Zenyatta, coming off a win in the Milady Handicap on May 31.

She’ll carry 124 pounds for the first time, against six rivals who include Hawthorne Handicap winner Tough Tiz’s Sis.

The other Grade I’s are the

Triple Bend at seven furlongs and the American Oaks.

Regret Stakes winner Pure Clan drew the rail and is the 7-2 morning-line favorite in the Oaks.

Ventura and Lady of Venice will get a rematch in the Grade II CashCall Mile, after Ventura beat the 2007 CashCall winner by three-quarters of a length in the Just a Game on Belmont Stakes Day.

Monmouth Park will have two stakes which are designated as Breeders’ Cup Challenge events, the Grade I United Nations on the turf and the Salvator Mile.

Gottcha Gold upset Lawyer Ron in the Salvator Mile last year, and is back off a neck loss to Student Council in the Pimlico Special on May 16. Gottcha Gold was second to Corinthian in the inaugural running of the BC Dirt Mile on a sloppy track at Monmouth last year.

The United Nation and Salvator Mile will be broadcast on ESPN2 from 6-7 p.m.

Trainer Allen Jerkens will send out Mint Lane on Sunday in the $200,000 Grade II Dwyer at Belmont. The son of Maria’s Mon proved that he’s more than just a flat-out sprinter with a second-

place finish in the Frederico Tesio at Pimlico in April.

“Sometimes, when a horse gets an easy lead and then horses come to him, you figure. ‘OK, he’s run hard, but now, he has nothing left,’ ” said Jerkens. “But in the Tesio, Mint Lane kept on fighting, and that was great to see.”

Stronach Stable’s Fidelio is taking a big step up in the Dwyer for Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. A winner of three of five starts, including his last two, the Awesome Again colt figures to push the pace for jockey Javier Castelleno.

Also entered is Ready’s Image, winner of the Grade II Sanford at Sararoga last summer who is making his first start beyond seven furlongs.

babies emerging

The stakes-caliber 2-year-olds are starting to show themselves, after Belmont hosted the Astoria for fillies and the Tremont for colts last weekend.

Bold Union, trained by Kelly Breen, improved to 2-0 in the

Astoria and will run in a stakes at Saratoga, although Breen said the Schuylerville on opening day might be too soon for the comeback.

The New York-bred Dagnabit just got up to catch Regardlesoftheoutcome in the Tremont in his career debut.

The highly regarded Mr. Mistoffelees, a $1.5 million February purchase trained by Todd Pletcher, bobbled at the start and finished last of five.

“He stumbled badly at the start, and it took him out of his element,” Pletcher said. “Speed is his weapon, and he lost that in the first jump.”

heatseeker retired

Santa Anita Handicap winner Heatseeker, a 5-year-old Giant’s Causeway horse who had been pointing toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic, was retired on Monday with a suspensory injury.

He scratched from the Hollywood Gold Cup last week, and further examination of the swelling in his left foreleg revealed soft tissue injury that his connections estimated would require a six-month layoff.

Shipped to the U.S. late in his 3-year-old season after finishing third behind George Washington in the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh, Heatseeker finished eighth in his only start, but won three races at 4 and was 2-2-1 in five starts this year.

He won the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap and the Grade II Californian for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and owner William de Burgh, and retired with lifetime earnings of $1,177,776.

No decision has been made on his stallion career yet.

Lucky Island romps

Lucky Island won the $200,000 Tom Fool and Any Limit took the $150,000 First Flight Friday as Belmont Park celebrated Independence Day with a pair of seven-furlong handicap stakes run in the mud.

Lucky Island beat Tasteyville by 41⁄4 lengths to remain unbeaten in four races this year. Alan Garcia was aboard for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin in the race that went in 1:22.73. The 4-year-old colt paid $5 to win.

Any Limit held off a late run from Wild Gams by a neck in the First Flight for fillies and mares.

Any Limit shot right to the front under Cornelio Velasque,z and dug in gamely in the final stages for her seventh win in 20 starts. The 5-year-old trained by Jerkins was clocked in 1:23.86, paying $13.60 to win.

J Be K ran away with the $150,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park, beating Silver Edition by four lengths.

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Garrett Gomez, the 3-year-old colt covered six furlongs in 1:09, and returned $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10. Silver Edition paid $3.40 and $2.20, while Indy Joe was six lengths back in third and returned $2.60.

The win in the Grade III stakes was the fifth victory in seven

career starts for J Be K, and his third graded stakes win this year.

Sent off the 2-5 favorite in the field of six, J Be K battled early pacesetter Go Go Shoot before taking the lead for good as the horses neared the quarter-pole. He then pulled away, and was not seriously challenged in the stretch.

Starry Pursuit beat Ginger Pop by a length in the $114,100 Flawlessly Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Starry Pursuit ran a mile on the turf course in 1:35, and paid $14, $8 and $5.20. Ginger Pop returned $9.80 and $6.20, and Runforthemoneybaby paid $5.

Starry Pursuit earned $68,460, boosting her career earnings to $194,685.

here and there

The film documentary “The First Saturday in May” will be shown at 7:45 p.m. on Monday, July 14, at the OTB Tele-Theater on Central Avenue. Producers John and Brad Hennegan will conduct a meet-and-greet at 6 p.m. ...

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux is on the verge of 5,000 career victories, with 4,995 through Friday. He had one win at Belmont on Thursday and one at Churchill Downs on Friday.

Desormeaux was the youngest rider to reach 3,000 wins, in 1995, and rode his 4,000th winner in 2001. ...

Dutrow said Frost Giant, the 40-1 winner of the Suburban Handicap last weekend, will get a rest before his next start, possibly the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 27. ...

Pletcher told the Daily Racing Form that Chicago Handicap winner Leah’s Secret’s will point toward the Grade I Ballerina at Saratoga on Aug. 24.