Pletcher and Cox prepping for Belmont Stakes
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ELMONT, N.Y. — Led by the Todd Pletcher-trained pair of Forte and Tapit Trice in New York, and the Brad Cox trio of Angel of Empire, Hit Show, and Tapit Shoes in Kentucky, six of the 10 prospective starters for next Saturday’s 155th Belmont Stakes put in workouts Saturday morning.
Over Belmont Park’s main track, Forte worked a strong five furlongs in 59.22 seconds over Belmont Park’s, per Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch, getting his last quarter in 24.33 seconds and galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.30 and seven furlongs in 1:26.37. He worked in company with the 4-year-old Varatti.
Moments earlier, Tapit Trice worked a half-mile in 49.59 seconds, in company with Classic Catch, galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.19.
Pletcher said he was looking for different types of works from Forte and Tapit Trice being Forte has not run since the Florida Derby on April 1 while Tapit Trice is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby five weeks ago.
Forte, who was scratched from the Derby the morning of the race with a bruised foot, has had two strong works in back-to-back weeks, and Pletcher has been impressed with how he’s handled them.
“What’s impressed me is when you get back to the barn, he’s cooled out in five minutes,” Pletcher said. “He’s not acting like it’s fatiguing him at all, so I think his fitness level is very good.”
Because he was placed on the 14-day veterinarian’s list in Kentucky due to the Derby scratch, Forte had to satisfactorily work before a regulatory vet and then have a blood test come back negative for any banned substances. The work for the vet was last week and Pletcher said Saturday that the results of the blood taken after that work came back clean.
“The bloodwork came back good. All is clear,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher has won the Belmont Stakes four times, three of them with horses who were beaten in the Kentucky Derby five weeks earlier. Tapit Trice fits that profile, coming out of a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.
Tapit Trice had his major work last week when he went five furlongs in 1:00.16 with a monster gallop out in 1:25.44 for seven furlongs. In Saturday’s move, he started outside of Classic Catch, caught up to him quickly on the turn and eased away from him in the final furlong without being asked, though the final quarter was 25.30 seconds.
“We weren’t looking to do as much today as we did last week,” Pletcher said. “He had a big work last week and a big gallop out. We wanted to do a little less since he ran in the Derby.”
When Forte scratched from the Derby, Angel of Empire inherited the favorite’s role. He ran a solid third in the race, 1 1/2 lengths behind upset winner Mage.
On Saturday, at Churchill Downs, Angel of Empire had his third workout since the Derby, going five furlongs in 59.80 seconds, working in company with Warrant who is being pointed to the Brooklyn on the same June 10 Belmont card. Churchill clockers caught Angel of Empire in splits of 24.40 seconds for the quarter, 36.50, and had him galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.60.
“He always gallops out really well, the breeze itself was fantastic, so we just saw more of the same from him which is positive,” Cox said.
Hit Show, who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:01.60, according to the Churchill clockers, in company with Victory Formation, who is being pointed to the Grade 1 Woody Stephens, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds on the Belmont Stakes card.
“He was pretty good, good gallop out from him,” said Cox, who said he timed Hit Show in 1:01.
Cox’s third Belmont starter, Tapit Shoes, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 in company with Peter Pan Stakes runner-up Bishops Bay. Churchill clockers caught him in splits of 13, 25.20, and 36.80.
“He broke off a little slow, but finished up in the bridle like you would expect and then his gallop out was really good which kind of seems to be his thing as well and makes you think maybe he is a mile and a half horse,” Cox said
At Keeneland Saturday, Raise Cain, the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes winner and eighth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, worked a half-mile in 50.20 seconds. Junior Alvarado, who will ride Raise Cain for the first time in the Belmont, was aboard for the work which was done in blinkers.
Trainer Ben Colebrook said he was just happy that Alvarado had a chance to get work the horse to get to know him. Colebrook said he may have Alvarado gallop him at Belmont on Thursday after the horse arrives from Kentucky on Tuesday.
Colebrook said he will put blinkers on Raise Cain for the first time in a race in the Belmont.
“If nothing else, Belmont is such a big venue there’s so much to look at it, it might keep him a little more focused on the horses in front of him,” Colebrook said. “I think he’s going to have to be a little bit more forwardly placed than where he normally is in a race due to the pace scenario.”
National Treasure, the Preakness winner, and Red Route One, the Bath House Row Stakes winner, are likely to have their final workouts at Belmont on Monday.
Il Miracolo had his final breeze Friday at Gulfstream and was scheduled to arrive here on Sunday. Peter Pan Stakes winner Arcangelo is not scheduled to work again after a strong breeze on Wednesday.
Entries close and post positions will be assigned for the Belmont Stakes on Tuesday.
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