Sadler to run three horses on Belmont Stakes card
ELMONT, N.Y. – In addition to Rock Your World for the Belmont Stakes, trainer John Sadler is planning to send Flagstaff for Friday’s Grade 2, $300,000 True North Stakes and Campaign for Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn Stakes on Saturday.
Campaign will be making his second run in the Brooklyn, having finished fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/2-mile race in 2019.
“He ran well in that race before, he’s a specialist at those longer distance races,” Sadler said. “Belmont’s a good track for him and I know he wants to run that far if not farther.”
Flagstaff is coming off victories in the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Keeneland in April and a head victory over Lexitonian in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Sprint on Kentucky Derby Day. Both of those races were at seven furlongs. The True North is run at 6 1/2 furlongs.
“That’s proven to be his best distance, but 6 1/2 in New York with those big turns, that ought to be very good for him,” Sadler said.
Sadler won the 2019 True North with Catalina Cruiser, who was cutting back in distance off a one-mile race.
On Friday, at Santa Anita, Campaign worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 while Flagstaff covered the same distance in 1:00.