Belmont clocker: Pletcher trio puts in works

Belmont Park on Friday
Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Temperature: 57

ELMONT, N.Y. – Only six of the 11 potential Belmont Stakes starters are currently stabled at Belmont Park. Four of those six worked for the June 6 race on Friday: trainer Todd Pletcher’s trio of Materiality, Carpe Diem, and Madefromlucky and Kiaran McLaughlin’s Frosted, the sneaky-good fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby.

The main track was fast and the weather picture perfect for the flurry of activity that began at 6:15 a.m. Eastern and ended almost three hours later, with Frosted the last of the Belmont quartet to breeze.

Work of the Day

MATERIALITY (five furlongs in 59.81 seconds) – His series of works leading up to the Derby at Palm Beach Downs and Churchill Downs were excellent, and he was just as good, if not even better, Friday.

Breaking off outside of Stanford and with John Velazquez aboard, Materiality relaxed through a relatively leisurely opening three-eighths in 13.07 seconds, 25.46, and 37.16 before really accelerating down the stretch.

With Stanford, who has shown to be a very good work horse himself over the past couple of months, holding his own throughout, the pair completed their final quarter in 22.65, with Materiality going slightly easier to the wire. Both continued on with great energy down the long straight, with Materiality still slightly best, covering six furlongs in 1:12.04 and seven-eighths in 1:25.74 before pulling up a couple of lengths clear after a mile in 1:40.76.

Despite his relative inexperience, Materiality continues to show a world of talent and gives every sign that he deserves a mulligan after a very unlucky and eventful sixth-place finish on Derby Day.

CARPE DIEM and MADEFROMLUCKY (five furlongs in 59.19) – Carpe Diem, with Velazquez up, broke off inside of Madefromlucky and appeared just a bit rank while approximately a half-length in front leaving the five-eighths pole.

The pair did settle nicely into a 24.30-second opening quarter before gradually picking up the pace, completing their final three-eighths in a lively 34.89 without urging. Madefromlucky matched strides outside of his partner to the wire and on the gallop-out, completing six furlongs in 1:11.79 and seven-eighths in 1:25.82 before pulling up a mile in 1:41.16.

Both horses looked good, although this was the best I’ve seen in the morning from the improving Madefromlucky dating back to last winter at Gulfstream Park and certainly a much sharper move than when he was clearly second-best in company with Stanford at Churchill Downs eight days prior to the Derby.

FROSTED (five furlongs in 1:01.56) – Unlike his two maintenance-type five-furlong works going solo at Palm Meadows prior to the Derby, the Wood Memorial winner was given company Friday, and some talented company at that, with Godolphin Mile winner Tamarkuz.

Frosted broke off nearest the rail, got to the quarter pole in 36.79 seconds, then was allowed to fan about three or four paths wide turning for home. The duo completed their final quarter on even terms in 24.77, with Frosted nudged along some nearing the wire to keep pace with his older and more experienced partner.

The two galloped out well, six furlongs in 1:13.64, before pulling up fairly abruptly into the turn. Not as fast or perhaps quite as visually impressive as the Pletcher workers but seemingly a slower work by design on the heels of a bullet half-mile here last week.