Belmont Park

Track: Fast

Weather: Hazy

Temperature: 65

ELMONT, N.Y. – Anybody looking for a reason to side against American Pharoah in his quest to win the Triple Crown in the June 6 Belmont Stakes surely couldn’t have found one after watching his half-mile breeze Tuesday morning from Churchill Downs.

With less than two weeks remaining until American Pharoah attempts to become Thoroughbred racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 37 years at the Belmont Stakes on June 6, approximately 22,000 grandstand general admission tickets still are available, according to the New York Racing Association.

NYRA officials confirmed that information after issuing a press release Tuesday detailing attempts to facilitate access in and out of Belmont Park this year after traffic and transit nightmares a year ago, when 102,199 fans came to watch California Chrome go for the Triple Crown.

War Story, 16th in the Kentucky Derby, will not run in the Belmont Stakes on June 6 against American Pharoah and instead will point to the $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 20 at Thistledown, owner Ron Paolucci said Tuesday.

Last week, Paolucci said that it was intent to run War Story in the Belmont and put him on the lead under jockey Colby Hernandez.

Paolucci said trainer Tom Amoss told him that if he felt that was the only way they could win the race, they should probably run War Story somewhere else.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse believes he tried to push some horses to make the Kentucky Derby over the last few years, and he made a promise to himself this year that he wasn’t going to do that anymore.

Belmont Park 

Weather: Clear

Temperature: 58 

Track: Fast

ELMONT, N.Y. - Not much activity on the Belmont Stakes front around here these days with only six potential starters on the grounds, four of whom are coming off five furlongs workouts on Friday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – For the third time in eight days, Belmont Stakes candidate Mubtaahij put in a timed workout, this time going five furlongs in 1:01.83, according to Daily Racing Form, in company with stablemate Umgiyo over the Belmont main track.

The move, which began at the half-mile pole and went to a furlong past the wire, came shortly after the 8:45 a.m. renovation break on an absolutely stunning late-spring morning in New York.

It bears repeating that American Pharoah will be bidding to make history in more ways than one in the Belmont Stakes on June 6. Beyond attempting to become only the 12th to sweep the Triple Crown, he will be attempting to become the first to complete a sweep of the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes without having previously raced at Belmont Park.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner American Pharoah galloped a little more than 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs on a nice, cool Saturday. He was among the first horses allowed onto a freshly harrowed main track at 8:26 a.m.

This was the second morning that Jim Barnes, the assistant trainer for Bob Baffert, had exercise rider Jorge Alvarez backtrack the colt to the seven-furlong pole, turn him around, and get him right into a steady gallop.

It is likely Frammento will be one of the longest shots on the board in the Belmont Stakes on June 6, when American Pharoah will attempt to become Thoroughbred racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner. But before you dismiss Frammento and his 1-for-8 record, just look who trains the chestnut son of Midshipman.