The morning before Triple Crown hopeful Justify is scheduled to have his final workout in preparation for the Belmont Stakes, it was a projected Belmont longshot, Free Drop Billy, that tuned up Sunday at Churchill Downs with a five-furlong breeze in 59 1/5 seconds.
With only four of the dozen or so prospective Belmont Stakes starters training on the grounds at the present time, it’s become a happening of sorts this past week when any of the quartet are sent out for a serious work.
Blended Citizen will be the only one of the expected 11 or 12 starters in the Belmont Stakes with a previous start over the Belmont Park main track. On Saturday, he became the fourth - and probably final - prospective Belmont starter to get a workout over the main track as well.
Gronkowski passed the audition. After his second solid workout in a week, the European import was confirmed by trainer Chad Brown as a starter for next Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes.
On a Saturday morning at Churchill Downs when Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify had a maintenance training day with a gallop, one of his rivals for next Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, Tenfold, got a little more serious, breezing five furlongs in 1:01.60 over a fast track.
Unfortunately, there will be no Audible in the starting lineup for Saturday's Belmont Stakes. But there certainly were plenty of weather- and track-related audibles being called around Belmont Park on Friday.
For as much success as trainer Todd Pletcher has had in the Belmont Stakes – three wins and five seconds from 14 runnings – he understands that the degree of difficulty might be at its highest when he sends out Vino Rosso and Noble Indy against the undefeated Justify in next Saturday's $1.5 million Belmont Stakes.
Less than a decade after he was a classic winner himself, Lookin At Lucky hopes to get lucky in next week's Belmont Stakes as the broodmare sire of the enigmatic Gronkowski – and is looking ahead to a big summer after closing May with a bang.
The weather and routine were a bit different Friday morning when Justify went out for exercise, but the bottom line was the same – all is well with the superstar colt as the June 9 Belmont Stakes drew another day closer.
Bravazo was timed in 1:42.60 by Churchill clocker John Nichols in what will be his lone major work prior to the June 9 Belmont Stakes since finishing a late-closing second behind Justify in the May 19 Preakness.
