Anybody looking for a reason to side against American Pharoah in his quest to win the Triple Crown in the June 6 Belmont Stakes surely couldn’t have found one after watching his half-mile breeze Tuesday morning from Churchill Downs.
With less than two weeks remaining until American Pharoah attempts to become Thoroughbred racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 37 years at the Belmont Stakes on June 6, approximately 22,000 grandstand general admission tickets still are available, according to the New York Racing Association.
War Story, 16th in the Kentucky Derby, will not run in the Belmont Stakes on June 6 against American Pharoah and instead will point to the $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 20 at Thistledown.
After solid second-place performances in the Illinois Derby and Peter Pan Stakes, Conquest Curlinate has proven to trainer Mark Casse and his owners that he is worthy of a Triple Crown race.
Mubtaahij, the UAE Derby winner, worked five furlongs on grass here at Belmont Park on Sunday, a half-mile over the main track on Wednesday, and another five furlongs on dirt this morning after open galloping more than a mile Saturday.
For the third time in eight days, Belmont Stakes candidate Mubtaahij put in a timed workout, this time going five furlongs in 1:01.83, according to Daily Racing Form, in company with stablemate Umgiyo over the Belmont main track.
It bears repeating that American Pharoah will be bidding to make history in more ways than one in the Belmont Stakes on June 6. Beyond attempting to become only the 12th to sweep the Triple Crown, he will be attempting to become the first to complete a sweep of the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes without having previously raced at Belmont Park.
Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner American Pharoah galloped a little more than 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs on a nice, cool Saturday.
It is likely Frammento will be one of the longest shots on the board in the Belmont Stakes on June 6, when American Pharoah will attempt to become Thoroughbred racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner. But before you dismiss Frammento and his 1-for-8 record, just look who trains him.
Materiality, who finished a troubled sixth in the Kentucky Derby, worked a terrific five furlongs in 59.81 seconds Friday morning over the Belmont main track. Materiality was one of five Belmont Stakes horses to put in workouts Friday morning, a roster that included Pletcher’s other two expected entrants, Carpe Diem and Madefromlucky, Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Frosted, and, in Kentucky, Conquest Curlinate, the Peter Pan runner-up.
