Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing and Peter Brant’s double Graded Stakes winner Sierra Leone made his first appearance on August 11 since his runner-up finish in the Jim Dandy (G2) on July 27.
The timekeepers of the New York Racing Association caught the son of Arms smugglers cover half a mile alone in :49 Saratoga Racetrack‘s Oklahoma training track shortly after 7:30 a.m.
“He’s done a great job,” said trainer Chad Brown, a four-time Eclipse Award winner. “He came through his last race well and I’m happy with his performance.”
Sierra Leone is aiming for the $1.25 million Travers (G1) on August 24, shortly after finishing second to the reigning champion, the 2-year-old colt Wildness in the Jim Dandy. There he showed his typical catch-up tactic and came out late to pose a threat on the inside, but finished a length behind.
Sierra Leone finished a close second in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in May and struggled to finish third in the Belmont Stakes (G1) in June, with some drifting at the back of the track in both attempts.
Register for Bloodhorse Daily
Brown began solo work with Sierra Leone before the Jim Dandy and also switched from a cage bit to a ring bit.
“I’m not worried about how he’s going to travel,” Brown said. “He’s focused and travels really consistently.”
“It’s an area of his training that he’s sort of worked his way into,” added Brown. “He’s got a lot of experience and fitness now, so it seems to be working well for him at this stage of his career. We’ll see where it takes us. At the moment he’s coping well with it. We’re fully on track for the Travers.”
Bred in Kentucky by Debby M. Oxley, Sierra Leone was a $2.3 million purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. He posted graded stakes victories this winter and spring in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds Racetrack & Slot Machines and the Blue Grass (G1) at KeenelandHe has earned just over $2.2 million in prize money with a record of 3-3-1 in seven starts.
This press release has been edited for content and style by the BloodHorse team.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ms-halloween-composite-bc58ac389b5b416f99970b9b2f2a7012.jpg "Shop Halloween decorations from Pottery Barn, West Elm and more")
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/FSQ57CPTA5AZLGY6RQPUG5OY7M.jpeg "While Democrats work to make California a haven for abortion rights, some cities are resisting")
