General a Rod to run in Belmont Stakes

General a Rod will join the field for the June 7 Belmont Stakes, his co-owner, Jack Wolf, said Saturday morning following a five-furlong workout in 1:00.20 at the Trackside training center in Louisville, Ky.

General a Rod will join California Chrome and Ride On Curlin as the only horses to compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown this year. He had compromised trips in both the Kentucky Derby, in which he was 11th, and the Preakness, in which he was fourth.

“I thought he worked very well,” Wolf said by phone.

Wolf said Rosie Napravnik would have the mount. If they win, Napravnik would become the second female rider to win the Belmont, following Julie Krone, who won in 1993 aboard Colonial Affair.

Wolf’s Starlight Racing partnership was part of a group that purchased General a Rod the week of the Derby. General a Rod has been trained throughout his career by Mike Maker.

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Maker said General a Rod “came out of the Preakness excellent,” which gave him the confidence to try the Belmont.

“Mike’s around the horse every day. He feels like he’s doing well and we should run in the Belmont,” Wolf said.

Wolf said he thought General a Rod “could have been second” in the Preakness with a better trip “and possibly competed with the winner.”

“He made a hell of a run to do what he did,” Wolf said.

General a Rod is scheduled to fly to New York on Thursday on a flight that also includes Belmont runner Medal Count, who is trained by Dale Romans.