Mystik Dan ready for Belmont Stakes, trainer confirms

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - As expected, Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan is a go for the Belmont Stakes, trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed Sunday.

McPeek said blood work taken on Mystik Dan on Saturday following his workout earlier that morning “came back good. We put his feed out, he dove in, so we went ahead and entered.”

McPeek had been hinting all week that he would run Mystik Dan in the Belmont, but wanted to make sure the horse had a good work, came out of it in good order and was eating.

The presence of Mystik Dan and Seize the Grey in the Belmont field makes this the first time since 2013 that separate winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness faced each other in the Belmont. That year, the race was won by Derby also-ran Palace Malice with Preakness winner Oxbow finishing second and Kentucky Derby winner Orb running third. Coincidentally, Oxbow was trained by D. Wayne Lukas, who is the trainer of Seize the Grey.

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Though post positions were not to be drawn until Monday, the New York Racing Association had asked that horsemen make their Belmont Stakes entries on Sunday. The race had 10 entrants early Sunday afternoon with Wood Memorial winner Resilience confirmed to run by trainer Bill Mott. Tuscan Gold, who finished fourth in the Preakness and was being pointed to the Belmont, was not entered by trainer Chad Brown.

Brown will still send out the expected Belmont favorite in Sierra Leone, the second-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby.

In addition to Mystik Dan, Seize the Grey and Sierra Leone, others entered in the Belmont Stakes included Antiquarian, Dornoch, Honor Marie, Mindframe, Protective, Resilience, and The Wine Steward.

Resilience, who finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby, was confirmed by Mott as a starter Sunday morning after he worked a half-mile in 47.88 seconds over the Oklahoma training track, per Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. Welsch had Resilience’s last quarter in 22.78 seconds while catching him galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.95 and six furlongs in 1:14.31.

"It was very, very good. The time was good and he did it the right way,” Mott said “We intentionally wanted him to go out a bit around the turn after the work, which he did.”

Mott had wavered some on whether to run Resilience a second time at 1 1/4 miles. In the Kentucky Derby, Mott felt the horse “came off the turn and looked like a winner,” he said. “Of course, they got to the eighth pole and he didn't finish it off.”

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Resilience finished sixth, beaten 7 3/4 lengths.

After some more time to think about the other options, Mott and the owners of Resilience, Emily Bushnell and Ric Waldman, decided to give the horse another shot at this distance.

"The more we thought about it we see some benefit in running.” Mott said. “We questioned the distance in the Derby, and maybe I was correct. But to double-check ourselves and know what we want to do in the future with the Travers being here, I think maybe there's more to gain by running - win, lose or draw - than by not running. … I think we need to try it one more time and find out."

Due to the change of venue from Belmont Park, which is under construction, to Saratoga, the Belmont Stakes this year and next will be run at 1 1/4 miles instead of its usual 1 1/2 miles.

D. Wayne Lukas, trainer of Preakness winner Seize the Grey, believes the shorter distance makes for a better race.

“I think a mile and a quarter entices a better field every time,” said Lukas, who has won the Belmont four times at 1 1/2-miles.

Seize the Grey arrived in Saratoga on Saturday night after a van ride from Churchill Downs. Seize the Grey walked under tack on Sunday morning and was expected to go to the track on Monday morning.

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