Mubtaahij stays busy

Belmont Park

Track: Fast

Weather: Hazy

Temperature: 65

ELMONT, N.Y. – An official three-furlong breeze by the busy Mubtaahij and an unofficial one from Tale of Verve highlighted yet another rather uneventful morning on the Belmont Stakes watch in New York on Wednesday. The most notable work of the day came about 750 miles away at Churchill Downs, where Keen Ice drilled six furlongs for trainer Dale Romans.

Mubtaahij, who has now had four works here over the past 10 days, had his new rider, Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard for the first time Wednesday. Coming out at his regular time immediately after the renovation break, Mubtaahij backed up to the half-mile pole, quickly reversed direction, and broke off at the three-furlong marker. The UAE Derby winner, Mubtaahij went an opening eighth in 13.12 seconds, with Ortiz getting him to change leads very smoothly and on cue turning into the stretch. He then completed the easy breeze in 38.47 before galloping out a half-mile in 52.31.

I’m still not seeing anything from Mubtaahij that might suggest he’s primed to make a big leap forward off his eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, although he certainly should be fit enough to handle the 1 1/2-mile distance of the Belmont Stakes.

Tale of Verve continues to impress, although he did not get an official time for Wednesday’s effort, which was merely a leg-stretcher in advance of his scheduled work Saturday. He actually covered the same distance as Mubtaahij from the three-eighths pole to the wire and went out a half-mile in quicker time, 38.21 and 51.75, despite just galloping while kept well off the inner rail.

Materiality and Carpe Diem again kicked off the day, galloping shortly after 6 a.m. Materiality had another routine morning, an easy 1 3/4-mile gallop while reaching out well coming by the wire the second time.

Carpe Diem was a little busier, jogging a mile alongside the pony before reversing directions and galloping 1 1/2 miles while on his best behavior, save for briefly taking a few steps outward approaching the 1 1/4-mile pole gap.

Madefromlucky and Frosted turned in easy 1 1/2-mile gallops after the break, with Madefromlucky getting even warmer than usual, showing a good deal of neck sweat not long after entering the track.

At Churchill Downs, Keen Ice worked six furlongs from the five-eighths pole in 1:13.60, according to a track clocker. He got his final quarter in 25 before galloping out seven-eighths in 1:27.80. I watched the work on the track’s live feed. Keen Ice was put to moderate pressure by exercise rider Tammy Fox approaching the wire and to finish at the seven-eighths pole and showed good energy on the gallop-out.