Bellamy Road will race at Calder later in month

Bellamy Road, who has started just once since finishing seventh as the favorite in the 2005 Kentucky Derby, is expected to make his much-anticipated return at Calder Race Course before the end of the month, his trainer, Ed Sexton, said Sunday.

Sexton, who serves as the racing manager for Bellamy Road's owner, George Steinbrenner's Kinsman Stable, said Bellamy Road has been in extensive training at Steinbrenner's farm in Ocala, Fla., since recuperating from a recurring splint bone injury that he first suffered in the Kentucky Derby. He reaggravated it following his game second-place finish behind Flower Alley in the 2005 Travers, which was his last start. Sexton said Bellamy Road has worked twice at the farm and is scheduled to breeze a half-mile on Tuesday.

"With the injury he had, we just decided to take our time getting him back to the races, to do it the right way, and that's why he's got a 100 percent chance to make it back and why he's going as good as he is right now," said Sexton, who has saddled 3 winners from 10 starters in 2006.

Sexton said he has not even looked for a race as yet, but said if all went according to plan Bellamy Road could be ready to run in two or three more weeks. He said the ultimate goal would be the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.

"He'll probably have two more works," said Sexton. "We'll bring him back at Calder because it's closer to the farm than anyplace else."

Bellamy Road was trained by Michael Dickinson at 2. He was moved to Nick Zito's barn for his 3-year-old season and became the favorite for the Kentucky Derby after winning the Wood Memorial by 17 1/4 lengths. After the Derby, he was found to have a popped splint bone, which kept him idle until the Travers.