Manhattan likely for Seek Again

ELMONT, N.Y. – Seek Again, who came within a head of upsetting Wise Dan in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill, will likely make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan Invitational at Belmont Park on June 7, trainer Bill Mott said Monday.

Mott was pleased with the performance of Seek Again – who had not run since taking the Hollywood Derby last Dec. 1 – and marveled at Wise Dan’s will to win.

“He made a good run at that horse, we headed him three times,” Mott said Monday morning at Belmont Park. “It was nose, nose, nose then that son of a gun [Wise Dan] put his whole head in front at the wire and then we galloped out in front of him.”

Mott said that his horse stumbled a little bit out of the gate “and that could have cost us.”

On the performance itself, Mott said, “It’s never as satisfying to finish second as it is to win, but it’s nice to know that he can be competitive with the best.”

Meanwhile, Mott said Lea, winner of the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 9, has only recently resumed light training but won’t be ready to run in the Metropolitan Handicap here on June 7. It took Lea a long time to recover from the fever that knocked him out of the Charles Town Classic last month.

Mott said his new primary goal for Lea is the $1.5 million Whitney on Aug. 2 at Saratoga.