Lookin At Lee works four furlongs in Belmont Stakes prep
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Steve Asmussen wouldn’t label Lookin At Lee as brilliant. He does think he’s strong.
If his workout Sunday at Belmont Park was any indication, Lookin At Lee remains strong following a pretty demanding 3-year-old campaign. Under pristine conditions Sunday, Lookin At Lee worked four furlongs in 48.42 seconds over the Belmont Park main track, with a final quarter of 23.90 in preparation for Saturday’s 149th Belmont Stakes.
“That’s a very good breeze for him,” said Asmussen, who was not in attendance for the work as he was in Texas for his eldest son Keith’s high school graduation. “With him having just the one breeze, we feel good about him.”
Toby Sheets, Asmussen’s long-time New York assistant, oversaw the move, which was done at 6:45 a.m. Lookin At Lee arrived at New York the day after the Preakness and Sheets said “he loves it here.”
Jesus Vinegas worked Lookin At Lee. Vinegas also was aboard Creator for his final workout before he won the Belmont last year for Asmussen after finishing 13th in the Kentucky Derby and skipping the Preakness.
Lookin At Lee and Classic Empire will be the only two horses to run in all three legs of this year’s Triple Crown. Lookin At Lee finished second in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness. Classic Empire finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Preakness. Three weeks before the Kentucky Derby, Classic Empire defeated Lookin At Lee in the Arkansas Derby.
That Lookin At Lee will be running in his fourth Grade 1 race in eight weeks doesn’t surprise Asmussen.
“If they make a remake of War Horse they will borrow him for it,” Asmussen said. “He is just a man. His energy level off of very tough races is impressive. He’s not brilliant as far as fast, he’s just strong and part of him being strong is how well he comes out of demanding races.”
Lookin At Lee had a dream trip in the Kentucky Derby, when, under Corey Lanerie, he rode the rail the entire way around the sloppy Churchill Downs, finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind Always Dreaming but five lengths ahead of third-place finisher Battle of Midway.
In the Preakness, run over a track rated fast but still with moisture in it, Lookin At Lee had a wider trip, his late kick less effective; he finished fourth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths.
“I thought he was off the bridle early, whereas in the Derby because of the trip he moved up easily,” Asmussen said. "Corey was peddling from a long ways out. I thought the track was very slick and soupy and he’s a big horse; Pimlico is a different wet track than Churchill. I’m very happy to see him handle the main track at Belmont as lively as he did today. I think that bodes well if the weather will be good for us Saturday for the Belmont.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., the leading rider at Belmont, will have the call in the race. Ortiz rode Creator to victory in last year’s Belmont.
Aside from Lookin At Lee, it was a relatively quiet day on the Belmont front. The only other horse here who went to the track Sunday morning was Epicharis, the Japanese-based 3-year-old who arrived here Thursday.
Epicharis galloped once around the main track Sunday and exercise rider Masaaki Minamida felt the track was deep. He may go to the training track on Monday and possibly Tuesday, when he is scheduled to have a workout.
Senior Investment, third in the Preakness, Tapwrit and Patch, both of whom worked Friday and trained Saturday, Twisted Tom and Meantime all walked their respective shed rows at Belmont.
Entries close and post positions for the Belmont will close Wednesday at a luncheon in Rockefeller Center.
A field of 13 is expected. With riders, the field is: Classic Empire (Julien Leparoux), Epicharis (Christophe Lemaire), Gormley (Victor Espinoza), Hollywood Handsome (Florent Geroux), Irish War Cry (Rajiv Maragh), J Boys Echo (Robby Albarado), Lookin At Lee (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Meantime (Mike Smith), Multiplier (Joel Rosario), Patch (John Velazquez), Senior Investment (Channing Hill), Tapwrit (Jose Ortiz), and Twisted Tom (Javier Castellano).
