Gosger held out of Belmont to go in either Haskell or Jim Dandy

Gosger, a game second to Journalism in Saturday’s Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, will skip the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 7 in favor of a major stakes for 3-year-olds in July.

Trainer Brendan Walsh said on Wednesday that Gosger has emerged from the Preakness in good condition, and will benefit from a longer period between starts.

“I don’t think we’re going to go” to the Belmont, Walsh said. “I think we’ll give him a little more time.

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“He’s doing good. He’s back at the track this morning. He looks sound and well.”

Walsh mentioned races such as the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational, a $1 million race at 1 1/8 miles at Monmouth Park on July 19; or the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes, a $500,000 race at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga on July 26, as possibilities for Gosger.

“We’ll see how the next few weeks go,” Walsh said. “I think he’ll improve.”

Gosger is owned by the family of Harvey Clarke, who died in 2019. Clarke bred I’ll Have Another, the winner of the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

Gosger, by Nyquist, is out of Gloria S, a half-sister to I’ll Have Another.

Gosger has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $692,200. The colt won his 3-year-old debut in a maiden race at a mile at Gulfstream Park in February and scored in his first appearance in a stakes by two lengths in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland on April 12.

In the Preakness Stakes, at 1 3/16 miles, Gosger was always near the front, and took the lead in early stretch. He had a five-length lead with a furlong remaining before Journalism unleashed a remarkable rally to win by a half-length. Gosger finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of third-place finisher Sandman in the field of nine.

Gosger's defection now leaves a field of six for the Belmont, led by Journalism and the Kentucky Derby 1-3 finishers Sovereignty and Baeza.

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