Max Player has sharp work for Belmont Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Max Player, the Grade 3 Withers winner, put in a sharp workout Wednesday morning over the Belmont Park main track going five furlongs in 1:00.85 and proceeded to gallop out six furlongs in 1:12.38 in preparation for the Belmont Stakes on June 20.

Working by himself, Max Player went his opening eighth in 13.13 seconds, the quarter in 25.49, and got his last three furlongs in 35.36 while working a furlong past the wire.

It was Max Player’s first workout over the main track after breezing primarily over the Belmont training track.

“I was very pleased with the work,” trainer Linda Rice said. “Breezing alone, he’s a lot more professional now. At the end of it, when we asked him, he really went on with it. He’s certainly more professional than he was last winter, he’s going to need to be, but I was pleased.”

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As Max Player was finishing the workout, a horse unseated his rider and ran loose.

“We got lucky,” Rice said.

Rice said she plans to work Max Player one more time over the main track.

Dylan Davis, aboard for the Withers victory, will ride Max Player in the Belmont, Rice said.