Carpe Diem out of Belmont Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. - The prospective field for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday is now down to eight after Todd Pletcher said Monday that Carpe Diem would not run. The Truth or Else was withdrawn earlier Monday morning by his trainer, Ken McPeek.

Pletcher said Carpe Diem would point to the Haskell or the Jim Dandy later this summer.

Pletcher still has two other runners in the Belmont - Materiality and Madefromlucky. John Velazquez is reunited with Materiality, whom he had ridden to victories in all three of his starts prior to the Kentucky Derby, while Javier Castellano will ride Madefromlucky, Pletcher said.

Velazquez chose to ride Carpe Diem in the Derby, so Castellano ended up on Materiality in the Derby. Castellano won the Peter Pan on Madefromlucky in his last start.