Belmont Stakes clocker report: National Treasure airs it out, Red Route One cuts it short

ELMONT, N.Y. – National Treasure and Red Route One are both exiting the same race and are both trained by Hall of Fame horsemen, but their final works here Monday for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes couldn’t have been accomplished in a more diverse fashion.

National Treasure zipped a quick five furlongs and galloped out a full seven-eighths over the main track at Belmont Park, while Red Route One cruised an easy-half mile before being taken in hand purposefully by his rider shortly after crossing the final line and was not allowed to gallop out after completing a maintenance-type breeze about an hour earlier over the training track.

National Treasure’s first local work didn’t go quite as trainer Bob Baffert had planned, with jockey John Velazquez taking a strong hold of the Preakness winner from the top of the stretch to the wire after a swift opening quarter-mile split. Velazquez ultimately dropped National Treasure’s head, and he galloped out three-quarters of a mile with good energy here just six days earlier.

:: DRF Belmont Stakes Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more.

With exercise rider Erick Garcia aboard Monday morning, National Treasure left the half-mile pole full of run once again and was allowed to sustain that momentum this week, getting to the wire in a swift 47.34, without prodding, after fanning well off the rail leaving the turn. He responded to some light encouragement to continue five-eighths in 59.39 before galloping out very willingly, six panels in 1:11.73, and easing up seven-eighths in 1:25.63.

He seemingly is showing no lingering effects from his grueling and game effort in Baltimore two weeks earlier, although, like the others, he has the 12-furlong question to answer on Belmont Day.

Red Route One was a little disappointing in his first local trial, having to be prodded along to complete an average-looking half-mile clocking and five-furlong gallop-out over the main track here last Monday. He moved to the training track for a typical Steve Asmussen maintenance run Monday morning, cruising an easy four furlongs following the renovation break in 24.96 and 50.17 before being taken in hand by his rider almost immediately after passing through the wire, aborting the gallop-out well before completing another furlong into the turn.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.