Top 2 from Ohio Derby are ready for Jim Dandy

Batten Down and Gould’s Gold, who finished first and second last month in the Ohio Derby (G3), have been given the green light for a date next weekend in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakesa 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds at Saratoga.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott declared Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Batten Down to be likely for next Saturday’s $500,000 race after considering all options.

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The Tapit gray won the Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 22 by 1 3/4 lengths over Gould’s Gold after graduating from an 8 3/4-length, maiden victory going 1 1/4 miles April 30 at Churchill Downs.

“I guess that is the way we are going,” Mott said of the Jim Dandy. “When you have a horse like that, you look at all the options and think of where you fit. We felt it was time to reach out and take a chance in the Jim Dandy.”

Mott added that the 1 1/4-mile Travers (G1) may become a potential goal with a strong showing next Saturday.

“The Travers is run here. If we run well, maybe he can come back and run in the Travers,” Mott said.

Out of the multiple Grade 1 winner and 2014 champion older mare Close Hatches, Batten Down is a full brother to Mott-trained, multiple graded-stakes winner Tacitus, who was a close second to Tax in the 2019 Jim Dandy.

Grade 3-placed Gould’s Gold worked Saturday over Saratoga’s Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the Jim Dandy.

The Kenny McPeek trainee owned by 4 G Racing, Lance Gasaway and Magdalena Farm was among the first to step onto the fast track shortly after its 5:30 am EDT opening. He was accompanied by unraced stablemate Summer Diet, a $250,000 colt by Vino Rosso, to start their work together.

Gould’s Gold, driven on the outside by regular jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., sat just off Summer Diet through the turn and swept past his workmate with ease in the stretch to put several lengths between them and complete a half-mile in 47.60 seconds, according to to NYRA clockers. Summer Diet was timed at 48.55 seconds.

“He worked fantastic,” McPeek said. “It was a very good job. I wanted him to stalk off another horse and then finish, which he did.”

Gould’s Gold finished second in the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby after tracking the pace set by his victorious rival. He put in a four-wide move to hold onto second by three-quarters of a length over Copper Tax. Gould’s Gold also was second in the Sir Barton on May 18 at Pimlico, losing by a nose to Corporate Power, who ran a respectable second in the Curlin Stakes at Saratoga on Friday.

Entries will be taken and post positions drawn Sunday for the Jim Dandy.