Belmont Stakes: Incognito joins lineup

ELMONT, N.Y. - Incognito, the fifth-place finisher in the Peter Pan Stakes on May 11, has been confirmed as a starter for the Belmont, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Thursday. He will be transferred from Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Stable to his Godolphin Racing operation and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

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McLaughlin said a key to the decision to run is Incognito’s pedigree suggests he wants the 1 1/2 miles of the Belmont. Incognito is a son of 1992 Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy out of Octave, a two-time Grade 1 winner at Belmont including the 10-furlong Coaching Club American Oaks.

“The key is he wants the distance,” said McLaughlin, who won the 2006 Belmont with Jazil. “It’s a big step up, but he’s doing very well.”

Incognito overcame tons of trouble when he won a first-level allowance race at Aqueduct on April 13. While Incognito finished fifth in the Peter Pan, run over a sloppy track, he was only beaten a nose and a neck for third behind runaway winner Freedom Child. Despite breaking from post 8, Incognito found himself down along the inside for a good part of the trip.

“We feel like he’s not faced kickback before and he took a lot of kickback until about the three-eighths pole,” McLaughlin said. “He did come running up the fence and he galloped out real strong.”