Mon, 06/15/2020 - 13:50

Pletcher's racetrack stalwarts often convert into top stallions

Barbara D. Livingston
Quality Road led the country by individual Grade 1 winners in 2019.

Super Saver gave trainer Todd Pletcher his first Kentucky Derby victory in May of 2010. Meanwhile, waiting back in the wings was the older Quality Road, whom Pletcher saddled later that month to win the prestigious Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park.

Mon, 06/15/2020 - 13:00

Sole Volante a go for Belmont Stakes

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Sole Volante will run in Saturday's Belmont Stakes 10 days after winning a Gulfstream Park allowance.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After wavering a bit over the weekend, the connections of Sole Volante on Monday confirmed the horse will wheel back in 10 days and run in Saturday’s $1 million Belmont Stakes.

Sole Volante could end up the second betting choice behind probable odds-on favorite Tiz the Law in what is shaping up to be an eight- or nine-horse field for the Belmont, which due to the COVID-19 pandemic will actually be the first leg of the 2020 Triple Crown and be run at 1 1/8 miles.

Sun, 06/14/2020 - 12:48

Sharp Sunday workout has Mott rethinking the Belmont for Modernist

Barbara D. Livingston
Risen Star winner Modernist, outside with Junior Alvarado up, worked five furlongs Sunday in 59.28 seconds, in company with Tacitus.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Bill Mott had been thinking more about the $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 27 than next Saturday’s $1 million Belmont Stakes for Modernist before he watched him work on Sunday morning at Belmont Park.

Modernist, winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes in February, worked five furlongs in 59.28 seconds over the Belmont main track, going in company with Tacitus, the 2019 Belmont Stakes runner-up. The pair hooked up with Sonneman, a 3-year-old trained by Steve Asmussen, who ultimately took back off the duo. Sonneman is pointing to the Easy Goer Stakes on June 25.

Sun, 06/14/2020 - 11:53

Asmussen to run Pneumatic in Belmont Stakes, reserve Basin for the Blue Grass

Barbara D. Livingston
Steve Asmussen believes Basin lost his concentration during the Oaklawn Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Steve Asmussen has juggled his lineup for the Belmont Stakes, electing to run Pneumatic and the longshot Jungle Runner while pointing the Grade 1 winner Basin to the Blue Grass Stakes on July 11 at Keeneland.

“We decided to give Basin more time and I think it’s very important to keep him at two turns with our eyes still on the [Kentucky] Derby,” Asmussen said Sunday from Kentucky. “He finally ran the second turn well in the Arkansas Derby and we want to continue that trend.”

Sun, 06/14/2020 - 08:19

Tiz the Law gets easy final drill for Belmont Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Tiz the Law, with Manny Franco up, works a half-mile in 50.42 seconds early Sunday morning at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – There would be no lightning-fast workout this time.

Tiz the Law, the presumptive favorite for Saturday’s $1 million Belmont Stakes, completed his serious preparations for the race by working a controlled half-mile in 50.42 seconds early Sunday morning at Belmont Park. With jockey Manny Franco up, Tiz the Law went his opening quarter in 26.47 and his final quarter in 23.95. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.35 and six furlongs in 1:16.86.

Sat, 06/13/2020 - 14:02

Max Player on top of his game in final work for Belmont Stakes

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
The Belmont will be Max Player's first start since he won the Withers on Feb. 1 (above). Both races are 1 1/8 miles.

ELMONT, N.Y. - If Max Player improves as much in the afternoon as he has in the morning, he just might have a chance to pull an upset in next Saturday’s $1 million Belmont Stakes.

For the second time in 10 days, Max Player put in a terrific workout over the Belmont Park main track, this time going six furlongs in 1:12.25 Saturday morning under exercise rider Oscar Gomez.

Max Player was one of three Belmont contenders to work on a splendid late spring morning in New York. Trainer Todd Pletcher’s pair of Dr Post and Farmington Road went a half-mile together in 48.87 seconds.

Fri, 06/12/2020 - 15:30

Pure Sensation works for Grade 1 Jaipur

Julie Wright
Pure Sensation worked a half-mile in 49.37 over the Belmont inner turf course in preparation for the Grade 1 Jaipur next Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Pure Sensation won the Jaipur Stakes in 2016 when it was a Grade 3 stakes. Next Saturday, the now 9-year-old Pure Sensation will attempt to win the Jaipur in its second year as a Grade 1.

On Friday, Pure Sensation worked a half-mile over the inner turf course in 49.37 seconds, striding out nicely while working by himself.

:: Belmont Stakes news, contenders, and more

Fri, 06/12/2020 - 15:26

Casual tries to redeem dam's Acorn loss

Coady Photography
Casual recently won an allowance race at Churchill Downs.

ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s been 17 years, but the 2003 Acorn Stakes where Lady Tak got beat a head by Bird Town still irks trainer Steve Asmussen.

“You mean she should have won?” Asmussen said.

:: Belmont Stakes news, contenders, and more

Perhaps Casual, Lady Tak’s seventh foal, can give Asmussen his first Grade 1 Acorn victory when she runs in the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Belmont.

Fri, 06/12/2020 - 15:20

Asmussen has pair for Woody Stephens

Dustin Orona Photography
Shoplifted will be one of two Steve Asmussen 3-year-olds in the Woody Stephens Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – While trainer Steve Asmussen was to finalize his plans for the Belmont Stakes over the weekend, he is pretty set on whom he is going to run in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds on the same card next Saturday.

After failing to excel around two turns, Shoplifted will cut back to seven furlongs and one turn in the $250,000 Woody Stephens. Asmussen also will run Echo Town, a recent allowance winner at Churchill Downs.

Wed, 06/10/2020 - 18:13

Sole Volante rallies to win allowance; Belmont may be next

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Sole Volante, with Luca Panici riding, wins the allowance feature on Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sole Volante may have punched his ticket into the Belmont Stakes after rallying to a three-quarter-length victory over longshot Jesus’ Team in Wednesday’s $55,000 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park. Shivaree, who contested a torrid early pace with Ete Indien, succumbed grudgingly, finishing another three parts of a length farther back in third.