Belmont Clocker: Noble Indy, Vino Rosso looking good

BELMONT PARK
Friday, May 25
Track: Fast
Weather: Clear
Temp.: 63

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Belmont Stakes is now just 15 days away, and that means things will start getting a lot more serious in the morning for the dozen or so 3-year-olds under consideration for the final leg of the Triple Crown, including Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify.

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out two of his potential Belmont starters to work in company over the Belmont main track after the renovation break on a picture-perfect Friday morning, with Vino Rosso and Noble Indy turning in impressive half-mile breezes punctuated by strong gallop-outs to the end of the home straight and into the clubhouse turn.

The duo broke off at the half-mile pole with Noble Indy nearest the rail, Javier Castellano aboard, and Vino Rosso outside under John Velazquez. They were dead even exiting the sweeping turn off a 23.07-second opening quarter-mile and remained that way to the wire, with neither asked to run while completing the distance in 47.08 under a hold.

The team continued on with excellent energy, galloping out five furlongs in 59.97 before easing up after six furlongs in 1:13.04.

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Most noteworthy was that neither horse wore blinkers. This is especially significant in the case of Noble Indy, who can be a bit complacent when breezing without the hood. This is the sharpest he’s looked in his last four works, with the other three having come with blinkers on.

Vino Rosso was equipped with blinkers in his excellent breeze eight days prior to the Derby and has worn them in his last three starts, including his three-length victory this spring in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

At Saratoga, Hofburg worked six furlongs from the half-mile pole in 1:13.43, according to New York Racing Association clocker Dave Norton. Hofburg got his final quarter in 25.13, finishing into and around the first turn on the Oklahoma training track.

Non-Belmont Stakes workers of note Friday at Belmont Park included Mind Your Biscuits and Strike Power.

Mind Your Biscuits turned in his most serious work since winning the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 31. Breaking off at the six-furlong pole, the New York-bred completed his final five furlongs in 59.71, traveling easily throughout while kept well off the rail turning for home and down the stretch by jockey Joel Rosario.

Mind Your Biscuits continued willingly through the wire, galloping out three-quarters from the five-eighths in 1:12.31. He appears to be none the worse for wear from his travels and strong effort in Dubai and continues to target the Grade 1 Met Mile on June 9.

Strike Power has always been an above-average work horse, and he showed that again Friday. He turned in a solid five furlongs in 1:00.75, the final half in 47.49, before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.07 while asked just a tad nearing the wire by Velazquez.

Strike Power, idle since his gut-wrenching pace battle in the Florida Derby, will turn back in distance for the seven-furlong Grade 2 Woody Stephens on June 9.

PROSPECTIVE BELMONT STAKES FIELD

HORSE	TRAINER	JOCKEY	LAST RACE/FINISH
Bandua	Dermot Weld	TBD	Allowance - 1st (Cork - IRE)
Blended Citizen	Doug O'Neill	Kyle Frey	Peter Pan Stakes - 1st (BEL)
Bravazo	D. Wayne Lukas	Luis Saez	Preakness - 2nd (PIM)
Free Drop Billy	Dale Romans	TBD	Kentucky Derby - 16th (CD)
Gronkowski	Chad Brown	TBD	Burradon Stakes - 1st (Newcastle - ENG)
Hofburg	Bill Mott	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Kentucky Derby - 7th (CD)
Justify	Bob Baffert	Mike Smith	Preakness - 1st (PIM)
Noble Indy	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	Kentucky Derby - 17th (CD)
Restoring Hope	Bob Baffert	Flavien Prat	Pat Day Mile - 12th (CD)
Seahenge	Aidan O'Brien	TBD	Pat Day Mile - 7th (CD)
Tenfold	Steve Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	Preakness - 3rd (PIM)
Vino Rosso	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	Kentucky Derby - 9th (CD)