Mohaymen cranking up for Westchester

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mohaymen, a four-time Grade 2 stakes winner who has not raced since last summer, was expected to breeze Friday at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida, his first timed workout since returning to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin last week.

McLaughlin said Mohaymen breezed three times on the farm at Camden, S.C., before shipping to him.

McLaughlin said he is pointing Mohaymen to the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester at Belmont Park on May 6. The Westchester is a one-turn mile race and the local prep for the Grade 1, $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap on June 10.

Mohaymen won his first four starts, including the Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream last year. After running fourth in the Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby and Jim Dandy, Mohaymen was shortened up in distance in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop, where he finished 11th. After that he was sent to the farm for a vacation.

“He’s put on 100 pounds, filled out, matured, looks great,” McLaughlin said. “He was a May foal. It was tough to go through what he went through at a young age. He matured a lot. He’s doing great, moving super.”

McLaughlin said Mohaymen would likely ship to New York sometime in April.