2024 Belmont Stakes Clocker: Resilience turns in solid half-mile breeze

SARATOGA

Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Temperature: 54

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The final piece of the Belmont Stakes workout puzzle fell into place nicely around 7:45 a.m. Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track. Wood Memorial winner RESILIENCE solidified his spot in the lineup with a very solid half-mile breeze in 47.88 seconds that delighted a gathering of about two-dozen spectators, none more so than his Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

After noting that none of the seven likely Belmont Stakes starters who breezed locally moved the needle one way or another from a handicapper’s standpoint while turning in primarily maintenance-type works here Saturday, Resilience may have done just that with his impressive performance here Sunday morning.

:: DRF's Belmont Stakes Headquarters: Contenders, latest news, and more

Equipped in blinkers, Resilience broke about a length off and outside 3-year-old allowance winner Billal at the half-mile pole and cruised an opening quarter-mile split in a leisurely 25.10. Resilience was even with his mate while fanning four or five paths wide leaving the turn, then powered to the wire without need of encouragement, completing his final quarter in an eye-catching 22.78 seconds. Resilience stuck his head in front at the finish line, then drew off from his partner while remaining wide into the turn, galloping out five-eighths in 1:00.95 before easing up after three-quarters in a strong 1:14.31.

Resilience loomed a major player turning for home before fading to finish sixth, nearly eight lengths behind Mystik Dan, four weeks ago in the Kentucky Derby. Afterward Mott questioned his horse’s ability to handle 1 1/4 miles while leaning toward not bringing him back in the Belmont.

But that needle also began to swing over the past week, with the decision to give Resilience another chance at the distance on Saturday no longer in doubt following his sharp effort here Sunday morning.

:: DRF Belmont Stakes Packages: Save up to 52% on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more

Resilience was one of a handful of horses that Mott has earmarked for stakes races later this week at the four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga who had their final tune-ups over the Oklahoma track on Sunday. The group included Baby Yoda (True North), who went a crisp but relatively easy half-mile in 47.08; Casa Creed (Poker), who completed a maintenance half in 50.64; Sousa Summer (Jaipur), with a swift three-furlong blowout in 35.23; and Bendoog (Suburban), who went four furlongs in 48.33 while best in company with Elysian Meadows.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.