Belmont Stakes workouts: Always in a Tiz shakes off the rust
ELMONT, N.Y. – Saturday proved to be another warm and relatively uneventful morning at Belmont Park so far as the 10 prospective Belmont Stakes starters stabled on the grounds were concerned. Only one member of that group, Always in a Tiz, turned in a recorded workout, with the majority of the others gearing up for their scheduled workouts here Sunday.
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Always in a Tiz (five furlongs in 1:01.86): Although the work was officially recorded as five furlongs, it appeared jockey David Cohen let him breeze an additional eighth of a mile beyond the finish line before the horse galloped out around the clubhouse turn. Always in a Tiz broke off inside and about a head in front of stablemate Cielo Soleggiato, a 3-year-old maiden New York-bred, with the pair going on even terms through splits of 25.06 and 37.68 seconds for the opening three-eighths. Always in a Tiz finally began to assert his authority at midstretch, edging about two lengths clear at the wire without need of urging, and then continued on very willingly to complete six furlongs in 1:14.02. He galloped out seven-eighths in 1:27.52 and pulled up a mile in 1:41.08. There was nothing earth shattering, but it was a nice, efficient move for a horse who has not raced in two months or worked in five weeks. The most appealing aspect was the fact he completed his opening three-eighths in 37 and change, and the final three furlongs in 36.33.[bc_video_id:294008:]
Freedom Child made another good impression while having another busy morning. The powerful-looking colt jogged a very sharp mile, head bowed, the wrong way to the seven-furlong pole, reversed direction and galloped an easy 1 1/2 miles before jogging home another half-mile for a total of three miles overall. He gives the appearance of a horse coming into the race in peak form.
Incognito went to the training track for his 1 1/8-mile gallop, opening up a little through the final half-mile, which he completed at a two-minute lick in 1:00.04. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he believes the training track helps keep a horse a little more focused, because the horse has to change leads several times while completing three turns during a 12-furlong gallop, as opposed to covering the same distance over the vast main track, where he says a horse could have a tendency to “get a little lost” out there. A son of A.P. Indy out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Octave, Incognito is giving the impression he could be a live longshot in this year’s Belmont.
For the second morning in a row, Kentucky Derby winner Orb galloped an easy 1 1/2 miles after entering the racetrack through the paddock at the finish line. Once again, he did not show the same energy level as Derby week, perhaps by design, with his final Belmont work slated for Sunday.
Trainer Todd Pletcher’s quintet all went out early. Midnight Taboo was the only member of the group to gallop a straight 1 1/2 miles, getting a little warm in the muggy conditions shortly after dawn. The other four, Unlimited Budget, Revolutionary, Palace Malice , and Overanalyze , all jogged one mile the wrong way to the seven-eighths pole, then reversed direction and galloped a very leisurely mile, pulling up at the head of the stretch.
Vyjack was about the last horse to train over the main track on Friday after vanning over from Aqueduct, but he was the first one out on Saturday just as the course opened at 5:30 a.m. Once again galloping down near the rail over the empty oval, Vyjack looked a lot more comfortable breaking off than he had the previous morning to begin another fairly routine 1 1/2-mile gallop.