Belmont breezes for Jazil, Invasor

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - On Monday morning, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin was scheduled to catch a flight to California for the Eclipse Awards while his two prized Grade 1-winning colts, Invasor and Jazil, were slated to load on a van bound for south Florida.

But on Saturday morning, all three were in frigid New York as McLaughlin put both Invasor and Jazil through workouts over Belmont Park's training track. Invasor, who is likely to be crowned Horse of the Year as well as champion older male when the Eclipse Awards are announced Monday night at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.45. Jazil, last year's Belmont Stakes winner, went four furlongs in 48.42 seconds.

Invasor, working toward a start in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 3 at Gulfstream, worked in company with the unstarted 3-year-old maiden Elusive Warning. According to McLaughlin, Invasor began his move about five lengths behind Elusive Warning and beat him by a half-length at the wire.

"It was a little more than what we've been doing, because we just have one more work," McLaughlin said. "He's doing great, he did it easy. He wouldn't blow out a match."

Jazil breezed for the first time since finishing second in a second-level allowance race over the inner track on Jan. 5. He went in company with Momentarily, a 3-year-old maiden who lost his lone start. Jazil is being pointed to the Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 3. Both horses will be stabled at McLaughlin's Palm Meadows stable.

Invasor and Jazil have been in New York since Dec. 24 and have had no interruptions in their training. McLaughlin praised the New York Racing Association maintenance crew for having the training track in "perfect" condition and even for using the water trucks on Saturday despite the temperature hovering around the freezing mark.

"They've done a great job with the racetrack thus far in New York," McLaughlin said. "We had a perfect racetrack. Here it is Jan. 20 and they're using the water trucks."