Gufo will try to grind down Domestic Spending in Belmont Derby

ELMONT, N.Y. – Gufo had a four-race winning streak snapped when his late run fell a head shy of Domestic Spending in the Saratoga Derby seven weeks ago. He will look to start a new streak while perhaps earning a shot at the Breeders’ Cup Turf when he meets Domestic Spending and seven other 3-year-olds in Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Derby at Belmont Park.

The 1 1/4-mile Belmont Derby, the last of five graded stakes to be run on Saturday’s 10-race card, offers a fees-paid berth into the $4 million BC Turf, to be run Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

Gufo has twice won at 1 1/8 miles, and trainer Christophe Clement has always felt like the horse will run longer distances. In the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby, he attempted to rally from seventh place in the stretch, but altered course when he was hit with the stick by John Velazquez.

“He looked a bit funny at the end because Johnny V changed his stick, and when he changed his stick he lugged in,” Clement said. “I think it was not a reaction to the distance, it was a reaction to the stick. He always runs like he will stay.”

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Clement had planned to run City Man in the Belmont Derby, but that horse developed a temperature Wednesday and was not entered. City Man would have provided some much-needed pace for the late-running Gufo in the Belmont Derby.

“You can’t change a horse’s style,” Clement said.

With Velazquez at Pimlico to ride Kentucky Derby winner Authentic in the Preakness, Junior Alvarado will ride Gufo on Saturday.

Though Gufo has yet to run at Belmont Park, he has put in some good-looking workouts over the turf course here.

“He should love Belmont, and I love to run horses where you train them,” Clement said. “I think it’s an edge.”

Gufo’s first graded stakes victory came by a half-length over Pixelate in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes on July 4 at Delaware Park. Pixelate came out of that race to win the Garde 2 Del Mar Derby, also at 1 1/8 miles. The well-traveled Pixelate is in the Belmont Derby, and trainer Michael Stidham is hopeful the son of City Zip can see out the 1 1/4 miles.

“The way he finished his last race, I think he’s going to be able to handle it, but it’s nothing I know for sure until we try,” Stidham said. “The horse is doing very well. Everywhere we’ve run him, every time we’ve run him, he’s met the challenge and been right there.”

Pixelate will be ridden by Jose Lezcano, who rode the horse to victory in the Central Park Stakes at Aqueduct last December.

Domestic Spending, a son of Kingman, is 3 for 4 and trained by Chad Brown. He was the beneficiary of a sweet trip when he won the Saratoga Derby. He got away slowly and had to rally wide when third in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes a month earlier.

“He’s a horse that just continues to improve,” Brown said. “As he gets a little older and gets a little more experience, he’s definitely increased his range in how far he can run, I believe.”

Javier Castellano replaces Irad Ortiz Jr., who is serving out a suspension and who will miss Sunday’s card as well after testing positive for COVID-19.

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Moon Over Miami is actually cutting back in distance after winning the Dueling Grounds Derby going 1 5/16 miles on Sept. 10 at Kentucky Downs. He has won two of his last three starts since trainer Bill Mott added blinkers.

“In some of those races he was in between horses and didn’t focus,” Mott said.

Mott also sends out South Bend, who most recently finished last of 15 in the Kentucky Derby. South Bend ran well, though did not win, in middle-distance turf stakes at Gulfstream during the winter meet.

Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out the pair of No Word and Mo Ready. No Word was third in the Saratoga Derby with a dream inside trip. Mo Ready is coming off an allowance win versus New York-breds.

Venezuelan Hug has won 3 of 4 starts since being claimed by Danny Gargan for $40,000 in March. Ajourneytofreedom was claimed for $80,000 by Paradise Farms Corp. out of an Aug. 31 race at Del Mar. Though Bob Hess Jr. was the listed trainer of the claim, Ajourneytofreedom goes out for Mike Maker.