Belmont Stakes: Strong work puts Gronkowski in the mix

ELMONT, N.Y. – Gronkowski did enough in his combine drill Saturday at Belmont Park to keep his hopes alive of being drafted into the starting gate for the Belmont Stakes here June 9.

In his first workout since being transferred to trainer Chad Brown, Gronkowski worked a half-mile in 47.91 seconds and galloped out extremely well afterward, going six furlongs in 1:13.55. Gronkowski worked in company with the graded stakes-winning 3-year-old Engage, who is pointing to the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes card.

Brown stopped short of committing Gronkowski to the Belmont, saying his workout next weekend will be the deciding factor. Still, Brown seemed satisfied with how the son of Lohnro got over the ground.

“I was very pleased,” Brown said. “This horse has not lost much fitness to my eye, which I was relieved about. I put him in position to show us something to go on to next week, and he passed. He’s definitely under consideration for this race based on what I saw today.”

Jose Ortiz worked Gronkowski, and Brown said he would ride the horse in the race.

Gronkowski, named for and owned in part by New England Patriots All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, arrived in Brown’s barn on May 14 after being based in England with Jeremy Noseda. Gronkowski had been pointing to the Kentucky Derby but missed that race due to a temperature.

Due to wet tracks and some missed training time, Brown went easy with him for the first week he had him. Brown said he would have liked to have worked the horse three times before the Belmont.

“I thought it was better to err on the side of caution to give him some extra time and make sure he galloped over the track and he’s over his trip and such, knowing it would only give me two works,” Brown said. “I think it proved to be a good decision today because the horse was very prepared to finally work over this main track, and he worked well.”

Brown said Gronkowski “will have a stronger work next week” to determine his Belmont status.

Three hours before Gronkowski worked, Peter Pan Stakes winner Blended Citizen breezed a half-mile in 47.61, with a final quarter in 23.53. He went out five furlongs in 1:00.61 and six furlongs in 1:14.90. Nick Esler, a former trainer now freelancing as an exercise rider, was aboard.

Heather Smullen, assistant to trainer Ralph Nicks, oversaw the move for trainer Doug O’Neill. She said the work was a little faster than perhaps planned but noted that the track has been yielding fast times.

“He finished up nicely without really being asked and galloped out nice,” Smullen said. “On the typical track, it would have been 48 and change, 49; with it being a little bit faster, it makes it a little fast, but he did it the right way.”

Smullen said Blended Citizen has been training daily over the main track but has been going out early when she says the track is tighter.

About 20 minutes after Blended Citizen worked, the Nicks-trained Caledonia Road, last year’s champion 2-year-old female, worked five furlongs in 59.80 in preparation for the Grade 1 Acorn on June 9.

With Smullen up, Caledonia Road started six lengths behind the New York-bred maiden Adorable Song and finished three lengths in front while getting her final quarter in 23.85. While galloping out, Caledonia Road seemed to be drifting out a few paths, but Smullen said it was because she saw a horse galloping to her outside and wanted to go after her.

PROSPECTIVE BELMONT STAKES FIELD

HORSE	TRAINER	JOCKEY	LAST RACE/FINISH
Bandua	Dermot Weld	TBD	Allowance - 1st (Cork - IRE)
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	TBD	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	Flavien Prat	Pat Day Mile - 12th (CD)
Seahenge	Aidan O'Brien	TBD	Pat Day Mile - 7th (CD)
Tenfold	Steve Asmussen	Ricardo Santana Jr.	Preakness - 3rd (PIM)
Vino Rosso	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	Kentucky Derby - 9th (CD)