Scars Are Cool aiming at Travers – Times Union

Saratoga Springs

Trainer Stanley Hough came into the Saratoga summer with the hopes of running a horse in Saturday’s $1.25 million Travers Stakes. It looks like Hough will have a colt in the Midsummer Derby lineup, but not the one he thought it would be.

Hough said Sunday morning that Scars Are Cool, who broke his maiden here on July 21, is on his way to the $1.25 million Grade I Travers Stakes on Saturday. Global Campaign, who would have been his top choice, is not.

“We are going to run ‘Scars,’ ” Hough said outside his barn on the backstretch. “He is doing good and we are going to take a shot.”

Scars Are Cool, named because the horse has a few of them on his body, broke his maiden in his third start after a fourth- and a third-place finish at Churchill Downs in the spring.

Hough did say that Scars Are Cool would “probably not” be headed to the Travers if Game Winner and Maximum Security, who were declared out of the race on Thursday, were still running.

Hough said that Global Campaign, who was third in the Jim Dandy, will be out of action for two or three months.

“We had to take him down to Rood & Riddle (Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.) and he wasn’t 100 percent,” Hough said. “It looks like a bone bruise. That horse just can’t get a break.”

Global Campaign missed the Triple Crown races with a foot issue. Before running in the Jim Dandy, he won the Peter Pan at Belmont in his return to the races on May 11.

Brown’s Travers duo works

Mechanicville trainer Chad Brown watched his two Travers runners, Curlin winner Highest Honors, and Looking At Bikinis (who was third in that race). Highest Honors went five furlongs in 1:01.66 and Looking At Bikinis went the same distance in 1:00.85.

Looking At Bikinis’ time was the 15th fastest of 30 at the distance on the main track; Highest Honors’ was 23rd.

“He went super,” Brown said of Highest Honors. “It was a nice little maintenance move.”

Looking At Bikinis, the 6-5 favorite in the Curlin, had won his first two starts.

“He’s been looking for a mile and a quarter (Travers distance) for some time,” Brown said. “I know he’s lightly raced and lacks some experience, but I’m confident the distance will suit him.”

Roman’s horses getting ready

Trainer Dale Romans had his three Travers Day horses put in their final works on Saturday.

Everfast, who will run in the Travers, worked five furlongs in 1:00.23 with regular exercise rider Tammy Fox on board. Promises Fulfilled, who is owned by Voorheesville’s Bob Baron and is going in the Grade I Forego, went five furlongs in 1:01.02 while Coach Rocks, owned by Loudonville’s Roddy Valente, West Point Thoroughbreds and former Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, went five furlongs in 1:00.65 as she gets ready for the Grade I Personal Ensign.

“All of them worked great,” Romans said. “I could not have asked for a  better morning.”

The Lake Placid

The finish of the  Grade II $200,000 Lake Placid Saturday  was too close to call. The photo finish didn’t lie. It was a dead beat between Varenka, trained by Graham Motion, and Regal Glory, trained by Chad Brown.

Varenka was the 8-5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile race on the grass and Varenka was the 2-1 second choice.

“I’m speechless, to be honest,” Motion said. “I thought we had it won right before the wire and right after the wire, but I wasn’t sure on the line.”

twilkin@timesunion.com • 518-454-5415 • @tjwilkin