The Foxes will have to keep his cool in Belmont Derby
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ELMONT, N.Y. – The Foxes should find the distance and the company to his liking when he heads a field of 11 in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational at Belmont Park. Now, if someone could just do something about these temperatures.
The connections of The Foxes expressed a little concern with the heat Thursday morning after The Foxes had an open gallop over the inner turf course. Daily Racing Form timed The Foxes going three furlongs in 39.38 seconds though this wasn’t an official workout.
“He struggled in the heat to be honest, it’s quite hot for him, he’s not used to it,” said Maddy O’Meara, assistant to trainer Andrew Balding and exercise rider for The Foxes. “But he felt fine going round, so we’re happy with him.”
Temperatures were in the mid-to-upper 80s Thursday morning and they may only be a few degrees cooler come Saturday.
The Foxes, an Irish-bred son of Churchill, is a two-time Group 2 winner in Great Britain, one of those victories coming in the Dubai Dante Stakes at 1 5/16 miles which he won by a neck over White Birch.
The Foxes tried 1 1/2 miles in the Epsom Derby, and he found that distance a bit too far as he finished fifth, 8 1/4 lengths behind Auguste Rodin, who came back to win last weekend’s Irish Derby. King of Steel, second in the Epsom Derby, came back to win the Group 2 King Edward VIII at the Royal Ascot meeting.
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“Coming fifth in the Epsom Derby is a very good trip for a horse that probably needs dropping back” in distance, O’Meara said. “This should be his ideal trip, and he came out of the Derby quite well and fresh to be honest, so we couldn’t be happier sending him over in the state that he’s in.”
Oisin Murphy will ride The Foxes, a closer, from post 11.
Kalik, Far Bridge, and Silver Knott – the top three finishers from the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes here on June 3 – are all back for the Belmont Derby.
Kalik, trained by Chad Brown, won the Pennine Ridge on the front end, but as he showed in his maiden victory at Gulfstream Park in March, he’s effective from off the pace.
“I don’t think he needs the lead,” Brown said. “The last couple of works we rated him just off a horse, he’s gotten on even terms and put his head in front. He’s very rateable and he’s very forward; he’s very dangerous that way.”
Brown also is running Redistricting, despite the fact the horse has made just one start – a 4 3/4-length maiden victory going 1 1/16 miles.
“He was a little green down the lane but he was motoring away without completely knowing what he was doing,” Brown said. “He’s learned a lot from it. He’s come back and trained super and he’s certainly bred to get a mile and a quarter.”
Far Bridge is coming out of two frustrating losses, a nose defeat to Webslinger in the Grade 2 American Turf on May 6 at Churchill Downs and a one-length defeat in the Pennine Ridge. In both races, he made belated rallies along the rail. In the Pennine Ridge, Far Bridge got shuffled back some on the turn far turn and steadied in upper stretch under Joel Rosario.
“He kind of lost his chance to win last time because he didn’t maintain his position on the far turn,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It was asking a lot to make up the ground he needed to into that kind of [slow] pace. He closed really well, he unfortunately lost his position in the middle of the turn. I think he’ll appreciate the added distance and perhaps a little bit better pace set up.”
Jose Ortiz, who rode Far Bridge to an allowance victory in March, is back aboard.
Silver Knott, the runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, also may have been pace compromised when he closed mildly to be third in the Pennine Ridge.
Webslinger, at 22-1, beat Far Bridge in the Grade 2 American Turf and came back to win the Audubon on June 3 at Churchill as the 3-5 favorite.
“His last race was probably a little better than it looked,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He made the lead at the eighth pole and he pulled himself up. He’s not much of a work horse. We gelded him [last December] because he never pays attention, but he wins.”
Casse also sends out Boppy O, who upset odds-on Talk of the Nation in the Jersey Derby at a mile on June 3.
“I thought that was a strong race for him,” Casse said. “We employed a different strategy and it worked out well for him. Hopefully, there’s some pace.”
Wizard of Westwood looks to be the pace of the race. The Michael McCarthy-trained colt is coming of a front-running victory going 1 1/4 miles in the Cinema Stakes on June 11 at Santa Anita.
Mendelssohns March, Cyber Ninja, and Modego complete the field.
The Belmont Derby goes as race 10 on a 12-race card that begins at 1:05 p.m.
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