Tonalist picks up Velazquez for Met Mile

ELMONT, N.Y. – Last year, John Velazquez won the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap with a horse who had won the Belmont Stakes with a different rider the previous year.

Velazquez is hoping to do the same thing this year when he rides 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist in the $1.25 million Met Mile on the undercard of the June 6 Belmont Stakes. Velazquez will ride Tonalist for the first time in the Met Mile, replacing Joel Rosario, who was aboard for victories in last year’s Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Joe Bravo, aboard for a win in the Grade 3 Westchester on May 2.

“Mr. [Robert] Evans is more comfortable to use Velazquez,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “We’ve been very lucky with him. There’s no negative. The people involved before did a very good job. Bravo won very well the Westchester and Rosario last year the Belmont Stakes. It’s that Mr. Evans feels more comfortable this way.”

On Friday, Velazquez got acquainted with Tonalist, breezing him five furlongs in 59.84 seconds over the Belmont main track. After jogging very strong all the way back to the mile pole, Tonalist had a good run up to the half-mile pole, where he broke, and went his opening quarter in 24.39 seconds. He finished the move in 35.45 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.22.

Tonalist jogged back to the mile pole at such a brisk clip that Velazquez was worried the horse would run off with him when he turned him around to start the workout.

“He pulled a little bit when we got to the pole, but then he was nice,” Velazquez said. “[Clement] told me, ‘Make sure when you come down the lane he gets a good run, and give him a good workout.’ It was very, very good.”

By committing to Tonalist, Velazquez gives up the mount on Palace Malice or Competitive Edge, two horses under consideration for the Met Mile, both trained by Todd Pletcher.

Competitive Edge, a 3-year-old who also is under consideration for the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, worked four furlongs in 48.41 on Friday over the Belmont training track. He worked in company with the 3-year-old filly Curalina, who is being pointed to the Grade 1 Acorn.

Pletcher said he wanted to see what the weight assignments were for the Met Mile before deciding where to run Competitive Edge.

“One of the things that we’re going to have to decide is not only with the weight we’re assigned but with a jockey we’re happy with that can do the weight,” Pletcher said.

Others pointing to the Met Mile include Bayern, Private Zone, Honor Code, Wicked Strong, Tamarkuz, and Bay of Plenty.