Belmont Stakes: Creative Minister, Ethereal Road get back to work
ELMONT, N.Y. – Creative Minister, third in the Preakness on May 21, and Ethereal Road, winner of the Sir Barton Stakes on the same day, returned to the work tab Tuesday morning as they prepare for a start in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes here June 11.
At Belmont Park, Creative Minister went a half-mile in 48.37 seconds, according to Daily Racing Form. With local jockey Heman Harkie aboard, Creative Minister went in splits of 12.58 and 24.05 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.15. Creative Minister, who was a bit washy around the neck on a warm morning, was kept three paths off the rail by Harkie.
“He handled the surface pretty good, I think he will run great,” Harkie said. “I will be riding that horse too with Brian [Hernandez Jr.] on Belmont Stakes Day, he’ll have two jockeys on him. I really like him, he’s a nice horse, nice long stride, smooth. Once you get him on the bit and he’s traveling, he’s traveling smoothly.”
Creative Minister came onto the track at the 1 1/4-mile pole and Harkie backed him up all the way to the 1 5/16-mile pole. Harkie said he did that because he wanted the horse to see the harrows and water truck that he will be passing during the running of the race.
“I wanted him to see that so when they come out of the gate to go around that first turn, he’s not going to look at it and be scared of it,” Harkie said. “I just wanted to do that so he could learn. It’s a nice day, it’s early, the track is still good, might as well take the time to let him process the track.”
Creative Minister, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Early Voting in the Preakness, shipped to New York from Pimlico on Wednesday. Trainer Kenny McPeek, who won the 2002 Belmont with 70-1 shot Sarava, said he wanted the horse to get accustomed to the unique 1 1/2-mile configuration of Belmont’s main track. McPeek was sent a video of the work by his staff as well as Kevin Bond, son and assistant to James Bond, in whose barn he is stabled.
“I told him to go 49 or 50, what I call a happy half,” McPeek said by phone from Kentucky. “It looked like the horse had good energy, it looked like he was getting across it really well. Similar to the routine when we ran Sarava, he’ll work another half-mile. We’re not going to overdo it.”
Creative Minister has packed a lot into a short period of time. He ran his first race March 5, won a maiden race April 9 and won an allowance on May 7 (Derby Day) before his third-place finish in the Preakness on May 21. He was supplemented to the Triple Crown for a $150,000 fee.
Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs, Ethereal Road worked seven furlongs in 1:27.40. According to track clocker John Nichols, Ethereal Road went in splits of 13.20, 26.40, 39.80, 51.40, and 1:14.60 and he galloped out a mile in 1:41.60.
Jockey David Cohen was aboard Ethereal Road, who, as planned, hooked up with another horse, the 4-year-old colt Optimus Kat (1 for 16), at the three-furlong pole.
“He’s a laid-back horse, he’s not that grab the bit type in the morning at all,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said when asked why he had another horse join in during the work. “I wanted him to stay focused a little bit.”
Lukas scratched Ethereal Road out of the Kentucky Derby the day before the race because he felt the horse was flat in his training leading up to it. Two weeks later, Ethereal Road won the Sir Barton at Pimlico by 4 3/4 lengths, earning a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I feel like he definitely came back out of the Sir Barton in good shape,” Lukas said. “That race moved him forward.”
Lukas, a four-time Belmont Stakes winner, said Ethereal Road would van from Churchill to Belmont on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike was due to arrive at Belmont Park on Tuesday night following a van ride from Churchill Downs, where on Monday afternoon he worked five furlongs in 59 seconds in between races.
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154th Belmont Stakes, Grade 1, $1.5 million, 1 1/2 miles, June 11 |
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| Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Last Race |
| Barber Road | John Ortiz | Reylu Gutierrez | Ky Derby, 6th |
| Brigadier General | Dallas Stewart | Tyler Gaffalione | CD alw, 4th |
| Creative Minister | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Preakness, 3rd |
| Ethereal Road | D. Wayne Lukas | Luis Saez | Sir Barton, 1st |
| Golden Glider | Mark Casse | Dylan Davis | Peter Pan, 2nd |
| Howling Time | Dale Romans | Joe Talamo | CD OC, 1st |
| Mo Donegal | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Ky Derby, 5th |
| Nest | Todd Pletcher | Jose Ortiz | Ky Oaks, 2nd |
| Rich Strike | Eric Reed | Sonny Leon | Ky Derby, 1st |
| Skippylongstocking | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Manny Franco | Preakness, 5th |
| We the People | Rodolphe Brisset | Flavien Prat | Peter Pan, 1st |