Samraat works a mile for Belmont Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In sharp contrast to the large throng of cheering spectators who assembled at Belmont Park early Saturday morning to watch California Chrome turn in his final work for the Belmont Stakes, trainer Rick Violette and a few disinterested members of the cleaning crew were about the extent of the crowd on hand when Samraat did likewise across town at Aqueduct later that morning.

With nearly the entire 1 1/8-mile racetrack to himself, Samraat jogged to the 2 1/2-furlong pole, reversed direction, and ultimately broke off at the mile marker under regular exercise rider Rodney Paine. Samraat, who got a little hot going to the pole, dragged his rider around through leisurely splits of 28.34 seconds, 55.63, and 1:22.34 for the opening six furlongs while kept about four paths off the rail.

Paine dropped Samraat down near the inside for the stretch run, gave him a little rein approaching the eighth pole, and the Wood Memorial runner-up responded by completing the final quarter-mile of the 1:47.43 one-mile move in 24.41 before galloping another furlong back to the mile marker in a sharp 12.17.

Violette was all smiles after the work.

“We went our standard mile a week or so out,” Violette said. “He didn’t have to do the whole thing very fast. I wanted him to have a couple of quick eighths finishing. He could have gone anywhere from 45 [seconds] to 49; he just needed to stretch his legs, and it was terrific.”

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Violette said that because the Belmont is 1 1/2 miles, he wants his horse to learn to get into a good rhythm and gallop a long way before the rider sets him down for his run, which is why he breezed Samraat a mile once again Saturday. Samraat had vanned over to Belmont to work a mile in 1:41 and change the previous week.

“I think it’s a really deep race. There are four fresh horses and, of course, California Chrome, who’ll have a target on his back, that’s for sure,” Violette said. “Don’t get me wrong, I think California Chrome is a really, really good horse, but a lot of really good horses have come over here in the same position he’s in, trying to win the Triple Crown, and gotten beat. It’s the first time he’ll ever run three times in five weeks, the first time he’s run over this track, and the first time he’ll go a mile and one-half.”

Violette said he’ll ship Samraat over to Belmont on Wednesday to give him the opportunity to gallop a couple of days over the racetrack as well as school in the paddock prior to the race.

Samraat most recently finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby on May 3.