Belmont Stakes clocker: Gronkowski, Blended Citizen post main-track moves

Belmont Park
Saturday, June 2, 2018

Weather: Cloudy
Track: Fast
Temperature: 72

ELMONT, N.Y. – With only four of the dozen or so prospective Belmont Stakes starters training on the grounds at the present time, it’s become a happening of sorts this past week when any of the quartet are sent out for a serious work.

There were two such happenings at Belmont Park on Saturday, beginning with Gronkowski’s much-anticipated work shortly after the renovation break at 8:45 a.m. and concluding with Blended Citizen’s very routine breeze, which took place shortly before post time for the afternoon’s 10-race program, approximately four hours later.

Gronkowski (five furlongs in 1:02.08) still needed to show trainer Chad Brown he was comfortable enough on dirt to earn a starting berth in the Belmont. And for the second week in a row, the European invader did just that. Working once again with the Woody Stephens-bound Engage, Gronkowski broke off from the five-eighths pole at a leisurely pace inside his multiple stakes-winning stablemate. The pair cruised an opening quarter in 26.01 seconds before picking up the pace steadily thereafter, completing their final three furlongs in 36.07 with Gronkowski holding a narrow edge nearest the rail under jockey Jose Ortiz. He then maintained that advantage while continuing out another solid quarter mile, without need of encouragement, getting six furlongs in 1:14.81 and seven panels into the clubhouse turn in 1:27.65.

As was the case a week earlier, Gronkowski readily held his own with a proven, stakes-caliber partner, doing so once again without the blinkers he’s worn in each of his four consecutive victories across the pond. Would not only expect to see him in the Belmont lineup, but a forward factor from the outset stretching out to 1 1/2 miles off a steady series of one-mile races over the synthetic surface in Europe.

Trainer Doug O’Neill received special permission from the racing office to work Blended Citizen just prior to the start of today’s races, as he did at Keeneland with Nyquist in his final one-mile breeze eight days before his victory in the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Reportedly, Blended Citizen was to follow that same scenario here Saturday, working a mile from the six-furlong pole. For whatever reason, that scenario never came to pass.

Equipped with blinkers this week, and with jockey Mike Luzzi up, Blended Citizen broke away from the pony which had accompanied him onto the track near the mile pole. But he did not begin his work until leaving the backstretch, at the half-mile marker, breezing to the wire in 24.54, 48.10 before continuing on five-eighths over the freshly manicured track in 1:00.88. He then eased up relatively quickly thereafter, galloping out six furlongs in a slow 1:17.22.

As noted after watching his first local work, the Peter Pan winner certainly appears to have a stride more suitable to turf than dirt and just did not seem quite as sharp this afternoon as he had cruising an impressive looking half-mile very early last Saturday morning.

PROSPECTIVE BELMONT STAKES FIELD

HORSE	TRAINER	JOCKEY	LAST RACE/FINISH
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	Robby Albarado	Kentucky Derby - 16th (CD)
Gronkowski	Chad Brown	Jose Ortiz	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	Florent Geroux	Pat Day Mile - 12th (CD)
Tenfold	Steve Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	Preakness - 3rd (PIM)
Vino Rosso	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	Kentucky Derby - 9th (CD)