Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Notes 06/01

BY NYRA PRESS OFFICE —

Belmont at the Big A Notes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Following a strong workout today, Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby, III and Valley View Farm’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winner Mystik Dan is all but confirmed for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Ken McPeek and piloted through the breeze by Danny Ramsey, Mystik Dan worked five-eighths over the Oklahoma dirt training track just after 5:30 a.m. in 1:01.59 in company to the outside of dual stakes-placed Gould’s Gold [1:01.79]. NYRA clockers caught Mystik Dan through splits of 12.74, 25.18, 36.39 and out in 1:16.22 and 1:30.65 with the Derby winner galloping out strongly through the turn in front of his workmate.

“I’m surprised Mystik Dan galloped out that far in front of the other horse – he’s a pretty nice horse. It was impressive. He’s doing great,” McPeek said. “He does things easy. The gallop out was pretty impressive.

“We’ll see how he eats tonight,” added McPeek. “He’s ate up several nights in a row now. I expect him to eat up tonight. If for some reason he didn’t, that would concern me, but I expect he will.”

The draw for the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes will be held on Monday.

Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna, also with Ramsey up, breezed shortly before Mystik Dan, covering five-eighths over the Oklahoma training track in 1:02.09, while working to the outside of maiden winner Midnight Concerto [1:02.09]. NYRA clockers timed Thorpedo Anna through splits of 13.25 and 25.17 while galloping out in 1:15.74 and 1:29.19.

“It was good. She’s all that and doing great,” McPeek said. “The workmate – we didn’t want to destroy her confidence. We wanted them to stay together, but Danny could have left her at any moment, too. She just needed a nice stretch out. She keeps herself fit.”

Thorpedo Anna, who has been under consideration for the Belmont Stakes if Mystik Dan was to miss the race, is entered in Friday’s Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies on Friday here on Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

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Trio of Belmont Stakes contenders breeze for Pletcher

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets four times and will have three chances to claim a fifth with the talented trio of Mindframe, Antiquarian, and Protective. All three colts posted their final works Saturday in preparation for the 10-furlong, $2 million test slated for June 8 at Saratoga Race Course, each breezing over the Oklahoma dirt training track.

Shortly after the track reopened from the first renovation break at 7:30 a.m., Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables’ Mindframe and Repole Stable’s Protective stepped onto the fast surface as the first team to breeze for Pletcher’s set. The two moved down the stretch to the clockers’ stand and stood for a few moments before turning back to the first turn to commence their effort on the backstretch. NYRA clockers caught them through splits of 13.12 seconds, 25.84, and a half-mile in 50.26 before galloping out in 1:02.96 with Mindframe drawing well clear of Protective.

“I was happy with them,” said Pletcher. “They got in a good rhythm, went along steadily with a strong gallop out. Happy and moving well.”

The undefeated Mindframe enters from an impressive wire-to-wire optional claiming victory on May 4 at Churchill Downs, leading at every point of call in the 1 1/16-mile tilt to draw off to a 7 1/2-length score under Irad Ortiz, Jr. The effort earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure and came on the heels of a tremendous debut performance on March 30 at Gulfstream Park that saw him win the seven-furlong sprint by 13 3/4 lengths and garner a 103 Beyer.

Protective enters the Belmont Stakes a maiden after four starts, but has flashed his talents when a deep-closing third in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, and a stalking third in the Grade 3 Peter Pan two lengths behind stablemate and returning rival Antiquarian on May 11.

Centennial Farms’ Antiquarian had his first and final breeze at Saratoga after spending the last few weeks training with Pletcher’s Belmont Park string. The son of Preservationist went to the Oklahoma shortly after the track reopened at 9:30 a.m. and went through a similar routine as Mindframe and Protective before taking off down the backstretch to commence his work with Grade 1-placed Be You to his inside.

NYRA clockers caught them in splits of 12.79, 24.79, and the half-mile in 49.99 before galloping out int 1:02.73, 1:15.06 and 1:29.20. The two stayed on together through the lane and finished strongly through the wire.

“It was exactly what we were looking for,” said Pletcher. “I thought it was a well-executed breeze and it seemed like both horses were moving well. I liked the way Antiquarian finished, and I really like the way he galloped out. I’m excited about giving him the opportunity to run a mile and a quarter.”

Antiquarian looks to follow the same trajectory as last year’s Belmont Stakes-winner Arcangelo as he enters from a win in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on May 11 at Belmont at the Big A, the traditional prep for the Belmont Stakes. Antiquarian earned a 92 Beyer for the three-quarter-length score over fellow Belmont Stakes contender The Wine Steward, the same number he received for a troubled sixth in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in March at Fair Grounds Race Course.

Pletcher said he is pleased with how all three of his Belmont Stakes contenders have trained coming into the final leg of the Triple Crown, and that it is a privilege to enter the prestigious test with such a strong hand.

“We’re excited about it,” said Pletcher. “It’s always great to come into these kinds of races with horses who are doing really well. Hopefully, we have enough talent to be competitive.”

Also on the Saturday work tab for Pletcher was Whisper Hill Farm’s dual graded stakes-winner Charge It, who is targeting a title defense in the Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban on June 8. The 5-year-old son of Tapit covered a half-mile in 50.50 seconds over the Oklahoma dirt.

“He’s always a good work horse and worked good this morning,” said Pletcher.

Charge It enters from a third in the Grade 3 Westchester on May 3 at Belmont at the Big A and seeks his first win since taking last year’s Suburban at Belmont Park by 4 3/4 lengths with a frontrunning trip under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

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Belmont Stakes contenders Sierra Leone and Tuscan Gold on the work tab

Sierra Leone had his final breeze toward next week’s 156th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, working five furlongs over the Oklahoma Training Track dirt at just past 7:30 a.m. in tandem with stablemate and fellow graded stakes-winning Grade 1 Kentucky Derby alum, Domestic Product.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown for owners Peter M. Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Brook T. Smith, the son of Gun Runner was timed in 1:02.64. NYRA clockers had the pair in furlong splits of 12.61 and 24.84, 49.32 for a half-mile and a six-furlong gallop-out in 1:14.93. The winner of April’s Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland and February’s Grade 2 Risen Star at the Fair Grounds was inside his stablemate throughout the move, wearing a cage bit designed to prevent him from his penchant for lugging inward after running second in the Kentucky Derby by a nose to the victorious Mystik Dan.

“He looked good today,” Brown said. “It was more of a maintenance move, as we did more with him last week, but I was really pleased with him—in particular, his gallop-out. He seems to be moving really good.

“He’s accepted the bit and he travelled well into the bridle,” Brown added. “That’s all I’m really looking for. It’s not a severe or drastic change. It’s getting more attention because he lost the Derby and lugged in a bit. It’s a natural and normal equipment change for a horse who might be having some steering issues. I tried it over the winter and didn’t like it as much, as I prefer just a blinker and a left stick—and he ran great twice that way—but I think it’s time to re-examine it a bit.”

Flavien Prat will ride the three-time winner from five starts in the Belmont, which will be contested over 1 1/4-miles at Saratoga for the first time. Tyler Gaffalione was aboard for his previous three runs.

“I wanted to switch things up a little bit,” Brown explained. “Tyler has done a really good job on the horse with two wins and a nose defeat. He knows the horse well and worked out a pretty good trip in the Derby from where he was and made a lot of good decisions in there. We were just a little disappointed that we got away from our game plan from the first two races in really anticipating the horse doing that with your left hand and not waiting too long to move. It’s not a punishment situation, it’s just the second half of the year and our horse runs primarily on the East Coast at Saratoga and Flavien and Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] are my two main riders on this course.”

Brown also confirmed that Klaravich Stables’ homebred Domestic Product will skip the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and ship to Monmouth Park for the 1 1/16-mile Listed $150,000 Pegasus on June 15, the local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million NYRA Bets Haskell traveling nine furlongs on July 20.

Later Saturday on the work tab was fellow Belmont Stakes possible Tuscan Gold, who breezed four furlongs in 48.38 on the main track at about 8:45 a.m. in company with the unraced Clever Mischief. Owned by William H. Lawrence, Walmac Farm and breeder Stonestreet Stables, the son of Medaglia d’Oro and Breeders’ Cup-placed Valadorna was fourth two weeks ago in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico over 1 3/16 miles.

“He did a little maintenance move here, as he obviously just ran a couple weeks ago,” Brown said. “He did what I asked him to do and galloped out fine. I’ll discuss it with the partners, but as of now, I’m leaning toward entering the horse. He’s looking for a mile and a quarter and he’s always given us that impression.”

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Dornoch works a sharp half-mile as G1 Belmont Stakes approaches

West Paces Racing, R.A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing and Pine Racing Stables’ dual Grade 2-winner Dornoch breezed a half-mile in 48.68 seconds Saturday over the Oklahoma Dirt Training Track at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Danny Gargan, the Good Magic bay worked to the inside of New York-bred Ramblin’ Wreck, putting a neck in front during the latter stages after the pair traveled in splits of 11.56, 23.42, and the half-mile in 48.68, with a gallop-out of 1:02:27 and 1:16.11, according to NYRA clockers.

“I had him in 48 and change. He was rolling early but then I had him slow down a little bit,” said Gargan. “He worked well.”

Gargan said after the work that all being well Dornoch will contest Saturday’s Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, a 10-furlong test for sophomores, on June 8 at Saratoga Race Course.

“He’s training really well. He worked good. We are really pleased with him,” Gargan said regarding Saturday’s breeze with regular exercise rider Priscilla Schaefer in rein, which ranked 3rd-of-39 timed works at the distance. “He is doing everything we want right now.”

Out of the graded stakes-placed Big Brown mare Puca, Dornoch is a full-brother to last year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winner Mage. Last out, he looked to follow in his brother’s footsteps, but finished tenth after a troubled trip from post 1-of-20 in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

“We are hoping,” said Gargan of Dornoch making an appearance in the third leg of the Triple Crown in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. “We just have to stay focused and get lucky. Hopefully, have a good trip this time.”

Dornoch made the Derby starting gate after a pair of Grade 2 wins including Aqueduct Racetrack’s Remsen in December over Belmont-probable Sierra Leone and Gulfstream Park’s Fountain of Youth in March, in addition to a fourth in the Grade 1 Blue Grass in April at Keeneland.



Luis Saez, who has been aboard for 6-of-7 lifetime starts, including an additional win in a third-out graduation in October at Keeneland, will have the call in the Belmont, according to Gargan.