SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- It looks like a game of copycat. With Anticipation and Denon just ran one-two in the United Nations Handicap at Monmouth Park on July 6. They came back and worked July 25 at Saratoga, with Denon going five furlongs, With Anticipation six. And on Wednesday morning at Saratoga, the two turf stars headed over at the same time to the main track, where, just after the renovation break, Denon worked a half-mile, With Anticipation five furlongs.

With Anticipation's trainer, Jonathan Sheppard, and Bobby Frankel, who trains Denon, stood near one another as their horses breezed. It was their final works for their scheduled rematch in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at 1 1/2 miles. Sheppard joked with Frankel that this would be a test of their training, to see whether those extra furlongs Sheppard has put into With Anticipation would make the difference.

"But then we agreed it would probably come down to which horse is better," Sheppard said.

With Anticipation finished strongly in his drill, inhaling a workmate, and completed five furlongs in 1:03.03, breezing, with exercise rider Kate Fitzpatrick.

"He looked good," Sheppard said. "I wanted him to go in 1:01 and change, as opposed to 1:03, but he went in company, so he'll get more out of it than if he went alone. Horses are more anxious when they work in company. So even though the time is not as fast, they get more out of it because they're trying to beat the other horse."

With Anticipation has raced on turf recently, but has made 28 of his 40 starts on dirt, and he seemed far more comfortable on that surface Wednesday than did Denon.

"He's got a tremendous stride reaching out," Sheppard said. "He covers a lot of ground."

With Anticipation is the defending champion in the Sword Dancer, which he won by three-quarters of a length last year. He beat Denon by a neck in the United Nations.

Denon's work was timed in 49.82 seconds, breezing, for a half-mile. Frankel had instructed jockey Rudy Rodriguez to go in 50 seconds.

"I told him he's fired," Frankel said, joking. "That was a good work for him. He looked good going by me."

Frankel said he thought Denon could have beaten With Anticipation in the United Nations, but that Denon was compromised when bumped on the final turn by Sarafan.

Clement may bypass Sword Dancer
With horses such as Cetewayo, Denon, and With Anticipation among those heading to the Sword Dancer, trainer Christophe Clement might sit this one out. He has both Craigsteel and the filly Volga invited to the race, but on Wednesday morning he said neither was likely to run.

"I am not running anything," he said. "If it is raining, I will run Craigsteel."

The forecast is for warm weather, but no rain, through the weekend.

Others expected for the Sword Dancer are Eltawaasul, Grammarian, Hawkeye, Man From Wicklow, Rhythm Band, Startac, Volponi, and Whitmore's Conn. Eltawaasul breezed five furlongs in 1:03.20 on the Oklahoma turf course on Wednesday morning.