Distance of Brooklyn Stakes right in Lone Rock's wheelhouse
The consistent Lone Rock seeks his 11th victory when he starts among the public choices in a wide-open edition of the Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn for older horses traveling 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park on Saturday.
Robertino Diodoro reclaimed Lone Rock for $40,000 out of a victory going a mile last fall with the hope of stretching the Majestic Warrior gelding out in distance.
“He’s one of those horses that thrives on training,” said Diodoro. “That’s always a good sign of a horse that wants to run on. The longer we train him, the stronger he gets.”
Lone Rock enters the Brooklyn in razor-sharp form. He’s won five of his last six starts, including an overnight stakes going 1 1/2 miles at Churchill Downs on April 27.
Lone Rock’s tactical speed is one of his greatest assets. He’ll break from the outside post in the nine-horse field on Saturday.
“I love our post,” Diodoro said. “I think there’s some inside speed in there and we can just get over a little bit and be second, third, or fourth and hope it will work out.”
Richard Mandella hasn’t entered a horse at Belmont since Beholder finished fourth in the 2014 Ogden Phipps. The Hall of Fame trainer saddled 1998 Metropolitan Handicap winner Wild Rush and returns to New York with Tizamagican, romping winner of the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita on April 18.
“He’s always been steady,” Mandella said. “He’s a big, strong horse and he tends to run all day.”
Tizamagician has a high cruising speed and should be placed forwardly.
“He’ll be in the first couple,” Mandella said.
Musical Heart should also be among the early leaders. Claimed for $62,500 by Rob Atras last fall at Aqueduct, Musical Heart went gate to wire in Belmont’s Flat Out Stakes traveling 1 3/8 miles on April 30. He received a 100 Beyer Figure. The consistent Musical Heart has hit the board in his last 10 dirt starts.
Todd Pletcher entered two stout performers in Moretti and Ajaaweed. Moretti hasn’t raced since a victory in last summer’s Birdstone Stakes at 1 3/4 miles, and Pletcher believes these longer-distance races is “what he does best.”
Although Pletcher admits that it isn’t easy to bring a layoff horse back at this distance, DRF’s Formulator application notes the barn has scored at a 37 percent rate with a $2.62 ROI over the past five years with dirt routers following layoffs of six months or greater.
Ajaaweed has won only one race, but the Curlin colt has always hinted at potential. Second in the Grade 2 Remsen at 2 when trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Ajaaweed has improved in each start for Pletcher and gave a breakthrough performance when a late-closing second in the Flat Out, his first start at a marathon distance. Pletcher was impressed how the horse “kept coming on strong.”
“We feel like this is what he wants to do,” he said.
Completing the field are multiple Grade 2 winner Rocketry, second in the 2019 Brooklyn; Grade 3 winners You’re to Blame and Campaign; and stakes winner Ry’s the Guy.