Belmont Stakes clocker: Spinoff, Intrepid Heart solid in gallop-outs

Belmont Park
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 67
Track: Fast

ELMONT, N.Y. – Conditions were about as perfect as they could get on the main track when Spinoff, Intrepid Heart and Tax turned in their final major preps for the Belmont Stakes following the renovation break shortly before 9:00 a.m. Saturday at Belmont Park.

SPINOFF was the first of the trio to go, working outside recent maiden winner Principled with jockey Javier Castellano aboard. The pair were anchored through an easy 36.38-second opening three-eighths split with Spinoff floated out a bit off the rail by his mate exiting the turn. The team completed five furlongs in 1:02.22 with Spinoff holding a slight advantage while going very easily to the wire. He then did his most impressive running on the gallop-out, readily pulling away from his less experienced partner after six furlongs in 1:14.66, increasing that advantage through seven panels in 1:27.01 before pulling up a full mile around the sweeping clubhouse turn in 1:41.21.

The work itself was nothing to write home about, although Spinoff did gallop out in impressive fashion for a second consecutive week. Bodes well for his chances of improving on disappointing experience over a sloppy track in the Kentucky Derby.

INTREPID HEART had blinkers and jockey John Velazquez on again when breezing in company with his regular workmate Outshine, the duo completing the final quarter of their 1:00.78 five-furlong clocking in 24.66 seconds, with Intrepid Heart prodded some to stick his head in front at the end working nearest the rail throughout. Velazquez then asked Intrepid Heart for a little more on the gallop-out, the improving 3-year-old responding willingly enough to edge clear after six furlongs in 1:13.20. Outshine pretty much tossed in the towel at that point, Intrepid Heart easing up solo after seven panels in 1:26.09.

Hard to say if the addition of blinkers has made any tangible difference but the solid gallop-outs and Tapit breeding influence point to him handling the added ground on Saturday.

TAX was given a target in conditioned claiming winner Blurred Line, breaking 6-7 lengths back at the half-mile pole, and making up most of that ground by the time the duo arrived at the three-eighths marker. But Tax struggled to put away his lesser mate after changing leads a tad late in early stretch, finally gaining the upper hand when urged along to complete the relatively average-looking half-mile in 48.81 before going out five panels a length clear in 1:01.16. Eased up after six furlongs in 1:14.68.

Frankly expected to see a little more from the Wood Memorial winner coming off an easy, maintenance-like run with a more impressive looking gallop-out over the training track last week.

TACITUS is slated to have his final Belmont work on Sunday. He seemed to take it on the easy side this morning, loping through a routine gallop over the main track.

MASTER FENCER has pretty much split his time each morning since arriving locally between the training track and the main. Today, the Japanese invader did all his work on the main, making what colleague David Grening described as a couple of lackluster looking spins around the mile oval in his most serious bit of training since an eventful seven-furlong drill over the main track last Wednesday.

– additional reporting by David Grening