Plenty of questions, few answers coming into Belmont feature

ELMONT, N.Y. – Question marks abound regarding what look to be the three major players on paper for Wednesday’s second-level allowance feature at 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park.

How will Proven Reserves fire off a 10-month layoff? Can American Tattoo, a Group 1 winner in Argentina, be forgiven for his last-place finish in his U.S. debut last month at Churchill Downs? Will a class drop help Twisted Tom find his best form?

Proven Reserves, trained by Chad Brown, has not been out since Aug. 28 when he finished third in this same second-level optional $62,500 claimer going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga. He showed up on the work tab twice in September before Brown had to stop on him. He did not return to the work tab until April 29 at Monmouth. He shows six works for his return.

Brown said he stopped on Proven Reserves last year due to “minor stuff, no surgery.”

“He wasn’t traveling right,” Brown said.

Proven Reserves, a son of Flatter, was good enough to win his career debut by 6 1/4 lengths going a one-turn mile in April 2018.

“He’s been solid, ready to get started. He probably could use the race as well to move forward,” Brown said.

American Tattoo won a Group 1 stakes by four lengths in Argentina in September 2018. A part-interest in him was acquired by Calumet Farm and he was turned over to Todd Pletcher. American Tattoo began working at Palm Beach Downs in Florida in February and seemed to have a good foundation for his North American debut in allowance company at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Breaking from the inside post in a 13-horse field that day, American Tattoo got bothered at the start by the eventual winner, Cummings. He chased a hot early and retreated to last.

“Inside post, broke a little slow, got into chase mode,” Pletcher said. “I think he’s the kind of horse that likes to be close early and possibly in control, so we’ll try to let him bounce away from there.”

From his workouts, American Tattoo has left Pletcher with mixed impressions.

“I saw some breezes I thought were very good. I also saw a few that left me scratching my head a little bit,” Pletcher said. “I need to see improvement.”

American Tattoo will break from post 4 under Jose Ortiz.

Since winning four stakes in 2017, topped by the Empire Classic for New York breds, Twisted Tom has gone winless in six starts, all stakes. He did run a very good second to Mr. Buff in the Alex M. Robb off a 16-month layoff last December.

Wednesday, Twisted Tom, a 5-year-old gelding by Creative Cause, is eligible to be claimed for $62,500. He does have a nice outside draw in this six-horse field, and his four-furlong workout on June 2 over the Belmont training track was visually impressive.

Dynamax Prime, who won a New York-bred second-level optional $40,000 claimer on May 26, seeks his third consecutive win for trainer Rob Atras. Giuseppe the Great and Holiday Bonus complete the field.