Just A Touch, Encino Tune Up At Keeneland For Blue Grass

Gotham (G3) runner-up Just a Touch completed his major preparations for an expected start in Saturday’s 100th running of the $1-million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) by working five furlongs in :59.20 over a track labeled as wet-fast Sunday morning.

Just a Touch came out after the second harrow break of the morning with the track upgraded from muddy (sealed). Working on his own, he recorded splits of :13, :24.80, :35.80, :47.40 and :59.20, galloping out six furlongs in 1:11.80.

“We got a good track,” said Tessa Walden, assistant to Brad Cox, who trains the Justify colt for Qatar Racing, Resolute Racing and Marc Detampel. “I thought about waiting until tomorrow, but there was more rain in the forecast.”

Just a Touch has made two starts, both on sealed sloppy tracks. He won his debut, going six furlongs at Fair Grounds, by 4¼ lengths, then was second as the favorite when finishing two lengths behind Deterministic in the one-mile Gotham (G3) on March 2 at Aqueduct.

On Saturday morning for Cox, Godolphin’s homebred Encino, winner of the John Battaglia Memorial (L) March 2 at Turfway Park in his most recent race, turned in his second Keeneland work in preparation for an expected start the Blue Grass (G1) with a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.

Working with stakes-placed Tapit Shoes, the Nyquist colt posted fractions of :23.80, :37.80, :48.60 and 1:01 over the fast main track. Encino worked the same distance in 1:01.80 March 23 in company with Tapit Shoes.

“It was a pretty straightforward work, like last week,” Walden said.

Entries for the Blue Grass will be taken Tuesday.