Jerome prospects Noble Moon, Street Gent breeze at snowy Belmont

ELMONT, N.Y. – A light, steady snow turned Belmont Park into a winter wonderland for training Saturday morning as at least 200 horses put in timed workouts over the training track, led by a pair of soon-to-be 3-year-olds trainer Leah Gyarmati hopes to get on the Triple Crown trail in 2014.

Noble Moon, who finished a troubled third in the Grade 2 Nashua on Nov. 3, breezed five furlongs in 1:02.97. About 30 minutes later, Street Gent, a recent maiden winner at 1 1/8 miles, worked four furlongs in 50.23 seconds. Though snow lay on the track, it was listed fast.
Both horses are candidates for the Grade 2, $200,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct on Jan. 4. Street Gent is also being considered for the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds on Jan. 22.

Noble Moon scratched out of the Remsen Stakes on Nov. 30 after being treated for hives the previous night. Gyarmati said Noble Moon did not miss any training time and the colt worked four furlongs in 50.22 seconds on Dec. 4.

In Saturday’s move, Noble Moon went off his first quarter in 25.07 seconds and came home his last quarter in 25.36 seconds. Noble Moon appeared to slow down a little bit in the stretch but seemed energized when a horse who was working for another trainer came to his outside. Noble Moon did not let that horse pass him as he galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.40.

“It was kind of an even work. I would have liked him to have finished up a little bit better, but the rider said [Noble Moon] was kind of looking at the snow,” Gyarmati said. “That other horse came up next to him that was kind of a good little schooling, made him punch a little bit at the end.”

After winning his debut going six furlongs at Belmont on Sept. 14, Noble Moon got wiped out at the break of the Nashua and was last for the opening half-mile before rallying to finish third, three lengths behind Cairo Prince.

On the day after the Nashua, Street Gent, in his fourth career start, went gate to wire to win a 1 1/8-mile race over Aqueduct’s main track. On Saturday, with the snow becoming more intense, Street Gent went a half-mile in 50.83 seconds, getting his first quarter in 24.83 seconds and his second quarter in 25.40.

While Gyarmati’s colts hit the track, her Grade 1-winning filly Sweet Reason has yet to resume training following a freshening at Hogan Equine following her fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Gyarmati said that Sweet Reason would likely resume training this week and will be pointed to the $100,000 Busher Stakes on Feb. 1.

“She put on just enough weight without getting huge,” Gyarmati said. “She looks happy.”