Social Inclusion's status for Belmont Stakes pending gate session

ELMONT, N.Y. - Social Inclusion came out to gallop over the Belmont Park main track without the special Belmont Stakes saddle towel he’d worn since his arrival here last week, raising speculation that owner Ron Sanchez and trainer Manny Azpurua had already made the decision to bypass the Belmont Stakes for the seven-furlong Woody Stephens earlier on Saturday’s card.

But that is not the case, according to Sanchez, who said that as of Tuesday Social Inclusion is still being considered for the Belmont.

“I’ll make my decision immediately after he schools in the starting gate on Wednesday,” Sanchez said late Tuesday morning. “I told Manny not to train him in the Belmont towel today because at the moment I’m 70-30 leaning towards the Woody Stephens. But if he schools well, stands quietly at the gate in the morning, there’s a chance we’ll go for the Belmont.”

Sanchez reiterated on Tuesday that his main concern is how Social Inclusion might react at the gate in front of such a huge crowd if he runs in the Belmont. Races at the 1 1/2-mile distance of the Belmont start right in front of the grandstand, while seven-furlong races like the Woody Stephens begin on the other side of the track.

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“I want to run in the Belmont, Manny wants to run in the Woody Stephens,” said Sanchez. “We’ll just see what happens at the gate tomorrow and then I’ll make my decision, right then and there.”