Global View connections target Belmont Derby Invitational

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Tom Proctor wanted to be coy concerning Global View’s participation in the $1.25 million Belmont Derby Invitational on July 12. Proctor is big on keeping options open and holding his cards close.

But the Belmont Derby requires a pre-entry payment of almost $9,000, and owner Glen Hill Farm ponied up the funds this week. Proctor said Thursday a final call on whether to send the talented sophomore from Arlington to Belmont won’t be made until after Global View works here Sunday.

“We’ll make a decision then,” Proctor said. “We paid our entry fee, if that means anything.”

There appears to be little downside in going for the richest 3-year-old turf race of the season with Global View, whose local option would be the $200,000 American Derby here July 12. Global View has three wins and two seconds in his five grass starts. He has yet to race beyond 1 1/16 miles, but as the product of a mating between super-stallion Galileo and a Storm Cat mare, races at distances like the Belmont Derby’s 1 1/4 miles figure to bring out the colt’s best.

Moreover, he already has shown that shipping is not a problem, traveling without issue to Penn National, where he finished second to Bobby’s Kitten in the May 31 Penn Mile.

“He’s a pretty cool horse,” said Proctor. “You don’t like to do back-to-back trips, but sometimes you have to.”

Global View worked a half-mile on turf June 16 and breezed six furlongs in 1:16 on Polytrack on June 23.

“He’s doing good,” said Proctor. “I didn’t like the way he worked on Poly that much. I thought at Del Mar and Keeneland he looked all right on it, but this was different.”

Gary Stevens, aboard Global View four times, would have the mount in the Belmont Derby.

Russell injured in spill

Jockey Sheldon Russell’s first Arlington meeting might have come to a premature end.

Russell was unseated by a 2-year-old first-time starter named Private Prospect before the first race Thursday, breaking his foot and partially tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the incident.

On Friday, Russell said he was feeling well enough, all things considered, and didn’t know how much time he would miss with his injuries. Russell has a doctor’s appointment Monday, by which time it is hoped that swelling at the injury sites will have subsided sufficiently to assess a course of rehabilitation and a time frame for his return to action.

“I hope I can ride again this meet, but I really don’t know,” said Russell, whose 20 wins through June 22 ranked sixth in the local standings.

The horses were being mounted to go to the track Thursday when Russell’s ride suddenly acted up.

“As I jumped on, he was fine,” he said. “As we were walking, I was just tying the knot in the reins, and I don’t know if he spooked from something he saw, but he half went up, came back down, and went right back up all the way. I never had time to react. The timing’s very unfortunate, but I’m just happy it’s not worse. I can deal with these problems.”

Mister Marti Gras has options

Millionaire gelding Mister Marti Gras will use his sharp closing turf allowance win June 21 as a springboard to one of three possible upcoming spots, all July 12, trainer Chris Block said. The Mystic Lake Mile at Canterbury and the Arlington Handicap and Stars and Stripes at Arlington are under consideration, said Block.

The 7-year-old Mister Marti Gras, bred and owned by Lothenbach Stables, is the rare horse who carries his form to all surfaces. He has three wins on fast dirt tracks, one on a wet dirt track, a 7-1-4-1 record on synthetics, and three wins and two seconds from seven turf starts.

Block has other stakes starters lined up for the July 12 Million Preview card here. Afortable runs in the American Derby, and Alette is probable for the Modesty Handicap.

◗ The Block-trained Sir Applesolutely has a chance in the featured fourth race on Sunday’s card, but he might have trouble catching Bet Seattle.

The six-furlong Polytrack race has multiple high-end allowance conditions and a $100,000 claiming option and is carded at six furlongs on Polytrack. Sir Applesolutely won under similar conditions going 6 1/2 furlongs during Keeneland’s spring meet in April, but Bet Seattle just won a similar six-furlong race June 1 at Arlington and has a tactical advantage Sunday over Sir Applesolutely.