Belmont Clocker: Tapwrit stronger than stablemate Patch
Belmont Park
Weather: Clear
Main track: Fast
Temp.: 65
ELMONT, N.Y. – With less than half the prospective lineup for the Belmont Stakes on the grounds as of Friday, prerace workouts have been few and far between here. That made the appearances of Patch and Tapwrit noteworthy when the Todd Pletcher-trained stablemates walked onto the main track to breeze in company shortly before 9 a.m. on a picture-perfect Friday at Belmont Park.
It is also interesting to note that Pletcher opted to bring his two Belmont Stakes candidates over to the main track to work, considering that he does the overwhelming majority of his preparations here at the training track.
Patch, with jockey John Velazquez aboard, broke off from the five-eighths pole inside Tapwrit, who was ridden by regular rider Jose Ortiz. They were in no real hurry to begin, cruising through a 13.45-second opening eighth before picking up the pace steadily. The duo hit the top of the stretch in 37.01, with Tapwrit proving much the best to the wire. Patch had to be put under a steady drive from the three-sixteenths pole to finish on even terms in 1:01.48 before continuing under constant urging to match strides galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.56. They pulled up seven-eighths in 1:27.60.
The breeze was nearly a carbon copy of the five-furlong drill the same tandem turned in eight days prior to the Kentucky Derby. Patch, who has never been much of a work horse, also had to be encouraged steadily to keep pace with a well-held Tapwrit down the stretch and into the clubhouse turn.
Tapwrit, who finished sixth after being roughed up at the start of the Derby, clearly seems to have a better chance of having an impact in the Belmont than Patch, who seems a bit overmatched at this level.
On Wednesday, trainer Ken McPeek sent out Senior Investment to breeze a maintenance half-mile in 23.94 and 49.22, going easily throughout under jockey Dylan Davis before galloping out five-eighths in 1:02.62 over a somewhat dull main track. Third in the Preakness and clearly on the improve, Senior Investment is scheduled to breeze again early next week.