Belmont Stakes 2021: Midnight Bourbon gets a freshening, to return in Jim Dandy or Haskell

At Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed early Monday that Preakness runner-up Midnight Bourbon will not run in the Belmont.

“I just wanted to freshen him up a little bit,” said Asmussen. “It’ll probably be a couple more weeks before he works back. We’ll either target the Jim Dandy or Haskell with no race in between.”

Midnight Bourbon, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, already has raced five times this year. The Tiznow colt earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, tying his career best, when finishing second behind Rombauer as the 3-1 second choice in the Preakness.

:: DRF's Belmont Stakes Headquarters: Contenders, latest news, past performances, analysis, and more

Meanwhile, Essential Quality had his second work at Churchill since finishing fourth as the favorite in the May 1 Kentucky Derby, breezing five furlongs in 59.80 seconds before dawn Saturday in company with his older Brad Cox stablemate Night Ops.

Cox said Essential Quality will breeze again this coming Saturday before leaving Sunday for Belmont Park via Brook Ledge Van Lines. Brook Ledge will be taking at least three loads on the 780-mile trip to Belmont early next week, while other equine van companies such as Sallee and Stark also will be hauling multiple loads to New York from Kentucky while the Tex Sutton airline charter continues to be grounded because of a regulatory issue.