Clocker: Creator still looks strong

Belmont Park

Weather: Clear

Main track: Sloppy

Training track: Good

Temp.: 72

ELMONT, N.Y. – You know it’s another slow day on the Belmont Stakes watch when the most excitement here Monday morning was trying to figure out what track Creator would be going to and then getting there in time to see his final blowout prior to Saturday’s race.

Heavy rain left the sealed main track sloppy when it opened for training at 5:30 a.m., leading Toby Sheets, who oversees the Belmont-based stable of trainer Steve Asmussen, to call an audible and take Creator to the training track, which was rated “good.”

Main or training track, there was little mystery as to what to expect from Creator once he broke off at the half-mile pole for a typically orchestrated Asmussen prep five days prior to the race. With exercise rider Jesus Vinegas aboard, Creator went off slowly, then picked up the pace a bit down the stretch, breezing four furlongs in 50.93 seconds, with a 24.87 final quarter. He was eased up quickly and purposefully into the turn.[bc_video_id:385439:]

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Creator trained as well as anybody going into the Kentucky Derby but never had the opportunity to show his “A” game, checking hard behind Exaggerator on the final turn and finishing 13th. He has maintained his impressive physical presence in the 4 1/2 weeks since the race and probably deserves a mulligan while wheeling back against much the same group, sans Nyquist, in the Belmont.

After having a day off Sunday, Exaggerator went back to work Monday and had a very good day, galloping just over 1 1/2 miles while getting stronger the farther he went. He posted a 14.43-second final furlong before pulling up in front of the clubhouse at the 1 3/8-mile pole. Exaggerator trained over a harrowed track at his regular time, shortly after 9 a.m.

The wet main track did little to dampen Lani’s enthusiasm on Monday. The Energizer Bunny of this year’s Belmont field again made four circuits – six miles – over the sloppy surface, galloping almost three of those miles while coming down the stretch at nearly a two-minute clip (15-second eighths), looking happy with his ears pricked the third time around.

Cherry Wine did his best Lani impression and looked very good doing it, jogging three miles while on his toes and showing a high energy level, and obviously none the worse for wear exiting his six-furlong work Sunday. His stablemate Brody’s Cause was the last of the Belmont contenders to train, hitting the track at 9:30, and followed a similar routine, jogging three miles while wanting to do more and bucking and playing on several occasions along the way, although he did get very warm.

Forever d’Oro, still without a Belmont Stakes saddle towel as a late entrant into the race, was also two-minute-licking as he galloped past the wire before pulling up on the clubhouse turn.

Governor Malibu trained at 6 a.m., as usual, over a sloppy main track, while stablemates Destin and Stradivari stuck to their normal routine, galloping over the training track following a walk day Sunday.

◗ At Churchill Downs on Monday, Suddenbreakingnews worked four furlongs in 49.40 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:02.80 in his final Belmont prep, according to track clocker John Nichols. He was scheduled to fly to New York on Tuesday.