Tapwrit, Patch among Belmont Stakes prospects putting in works

ELMONT, N.Y. – Having confirmed that Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming will skip the Belmont Stakes and return this summer, trainer Todd Pletcher on Saturday began focusing on the third leg of the Triple Crown with Tapwrit and Patch, his two potential starters for the 149th Belmont on June 10.

On Saturday at Belmont Park, both Tapwrit, sixth in the Kentucky Derby, and Patch, 14th in the Derby, put in workouts over the training track.

Tapwrit worked five furlongs in 1:02.41 in company with the stakes-winning older horse Far From Over. Tapwrit, on the inside with jockey Jose Ortiz up, started about three-quarters of a length in front of Far From Over, with Far From Over sticking half a head in front at the wire. Tapwrit went his first three furlongs in 37.57 seconds and got his last quarter in 24.84 seconds.

About two hours earlier, Patch, with John Velazquez up, worked a half-mile in 50.22 seconds in company with Outplay, a 3-year-old who has won his last two starts. Patch, also working on the inside, went his first quarter in 24.90 seconds and his second quarter in 25.32. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.72.

For Tapwrit, it was his second work since the Derby. For Patch, it was his first. While Tapwrit is a definite starter for the Belmont, Pletcher said he will wait to see how Patch works again next week before finalizing his status.

“Neither horse are ones that overachieve in the morning, but they kind of have that solid, grinding style that I think fits the Belmont,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher has won the Belmont Stakes twice – with Rags to Riches in 2007 and Palace Malice in 2013 – but he also has finished second in the race five times. Last year, Destin won the Tampa Bay Derby, finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby, and got beat a nose in the Belmont. This year, Tapwrit won the Tampa Bay Derby, ran fifth in the Blue Grass, and was sixth in the Kentucky Derby.

“They have similar styles, similar attitudes, not overzealous work horses; they kind of go about and do whatever their workmate does,” Pletcher said in comparing Tapwrit and Destin.

Tapwrit and Patch were two of six prospective Belmont Stakes runners who worked Saturday at four different venues.

Also at Belmont, Meantime, the Peter Pan runner-up, worked a sharp five furlongs in 59.91 seconds over the main track. Meantime worked in company with Basic Hero, the pair going three furlongs in 34.94 seconds before Meantime pulled away late to win the work by three lengths.

Trainer Brian Lynch was happy with what he saw but stopped just short of confirming his lightly raced horse for the Belmont.

“Normally, I’d work him back an easy half after a race like that in two weeks, but I figured we’ll work on the stamina side of things if we’re going to stay in consideration for it,” Lynch said. “We got another work to get into him next week, and we’ll assess everything as we get closer to entries.”

At the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, Wood Memorial winner Irish War Cry worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 as he prepares for a possible start in the Belmont.

Trainer Graham Motion had jockey Rajiv Maragh drive down from New York to work Irish War Cry, who finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby after winning the Grade 2 Wood Memorial. Motion said Irish War Cry worked in company with Ascend, who is targeting the Grade 1 Manhattan on the Belmont undercard.

Motion said he was happy with Irish War Cry’s work, and if he has another good week of training, “there’s a strong possibility we’ll take a shot,” he said. “It’s along the lines of what we did when we brought him back here after Florida. That’s my angle. He had a good couple of weeks here, we took him up to Aqueduct for the Wood. Likewise, that’s what we’re looking at here.”

Motion said Irish War Cry will work again next weekend.

At Churchill Downs, Gotham Stakes winner J Boys Echo worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 in company with Reedini, a 3-year-old maiden-winning colt. Churchill clockers timed J Boys Echo in splits of 11.80 seconds, 23.80, and 48.20 and caught him galloping out six furlongs in 1:14. The in-company work began at the half-mile pole and was timed a furlong past the wire.

“The plan right now is to come,” said Dale Romans, the trainer of J Boys Echo.

Romans said J Boys Echo will work again at Churchill next Saturday before shipping to New York on June 6. J Boys Echo finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby.

At Santa Anita, Gormley remained under consideration for the Belmont after working six furlongs in 1:14.00 in company under jockey Victor Espinoza, who rode him to a ninth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby last time out.

Trainer John Shirreffs said that Gormley, the Santa Anita Derby winner, had worked well, but Shirreffs “needs to see his energy level improve” before committing to the Belmont. Shirreffs said another workout next Saturday would decide whether he wants to ship east for the third leg of the Triple Crown.

– additional reporting by Marty McGee and Jay Privman