Belmont Clocker: Master Fencer takes awkward step, stumbles during workout

Wednesday, May 29
BELMONT PARK
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 61
Track: Fast

ELMONT, N.Y. – Japanese invader Master Fencer was considered to be one of the “buzz” horses heading into this year’s Belmont Stakes coming off his very encouraging seventh-place finish (placed sixth) in the Kentucky Derby during which he made up nearly 20 lengths on the leaders through the final six furlongs of the race.

But that buzz was definitely tempered following Master Fencer’s first official workout at Belmont Park shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The work oddly took place with Master Fencer wearing bell boots, equipment generally used only for jogging purposes and rarely if ever seen on horses galloping or working out.

With his regular exercise rider Yosukee Kono aboard, and equipped in the flashy pink hood he worked in at Churchill Downs prior to the Derby, Master Fencer began what was called in to the track clockers as a five-furlong work from the seven-eighths pole. After posting relatively leisurely splits of 13.51 seconds, 25.94, and 38.44 for the opening three panels, Master Fencer responded when set down hard midway on the sweeping turn, picking up the pace noticeably (his subsequent quarter in 23.97) while remaining on his left lead into and through early stretch.

Kono had Master Fencer under a steady barrage of right-hand sticks leaving the bend and through the eighth pole, and did succeed in getting him to jump back to his right lead after switching to a punishing left-hand whip near midstretch. But things quickly went awry at that point, with Master Fencer appearing to take an awkward step and stumbling briefly approaching the sixteenth pole after making the lead change. Kono did an excellent job gathering his horse back up to complete the work in 1:27.69 before easing him up quickly once passing through the wire.

Preliminary reports from the barn indicated Master Fencer escaped the incident unscathed with further evaluation expected later in the day. But this obviously was not the type of hiccup one would want in a work just 10 days out from any race, let alone a grueling event such as the Belmont Stakes.

Four of the other five prospective Belmont Stakes starters stabled locally turned in routine gallops over the main track Wednesday. Intrepid Heart was the first to go, at 6 a.m., traveling an energetic-looking mile and five furlongs for trainer Todd Pletcher. He was followed 30 minutes later by his stablemate Spinoff and Tacitus, the latter making another solid impression coming down the home straight, ears up, looking well exiting his razor-sharp five-furlong drill Saturday. Sir Winston was the last of the quartet to train, coming out as usual several minutes after the renovation break.

Preakness runner-up Everfast breezed an easy half-mile from the three-eighths pole in 50.20 on Wednesday at Churchill Downs. He’ll have his final Belmont work under the Twin Spires on Monday prior to shipping to New York the following morning.