ELMONT, N.Y. - Owner-trainer Martyn Meade has sent the 4-year-old filly Irish Rookie from England for the Grade 1, $700,000 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday. If things go well, a return trip in the fall is possible, according to Meade's assistant and son, Freddie.
"There are races for her later in the year here that we might consider," Freddie Meade said.
Trainer John Servis and owner Chuck Zacney are no strangers to Belmont Stakes Day, but it has been a long time between visits.
Servis brought the undefeated Smarty Jones to the 2004 Belmont as a heavy favorite in search of completing the Triple Crown. But after opening a big lead, Smarty Jones was run down by Birdstone and beaten a length.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Julie Clark remembers being horse crazy as early as age 4 and being captivated by the first running of the Breeders’ Cup back in 1984. But until recent years, she had largely spent her life with polo horses and thought the closest she’d get to participating with racehorses in the Triple Crown or the Breeders’ Cup was with the parties she’d throw on those days.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Winning the Belmont Stakes two years ago with Tonalist was a lifetime achievement for trainer Christophe Clement, but it did not prove to be a life-changing experience.
While Clement, a native of France who has trained in the U.S. for 25 years, takes great pride in winning an American dirt classic, it did not alter the composition of his stable, one that is made up primarily of high-quality turf horses.
Mid-Atlantic favorite Page McKenney, who was scratched by trainer Mary Eppler the morning of the $300,000 Pimlico Special on May 20 with slight filling in a tendon, is doing well but is unlikely to return to training in the near future.
Eppler said the injury is relatively minor. She had an ultrasound performed the day the injury was discovered and had another image done last Friday. She was pleased with what it showed.
“The swelling is pretty much down; there is very little filling there,” Eppler said. “This is the type of injury he can definitely come back from.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A key maiden race from last September at Churchill continues to produce. It was on Sept. 26 that Tom’s Ready won the seven-furlong race, with Forevamo second, The Player fourth, and Cherry Wine fifth.
Cherry Wine has accomplished the most since then and is now set to run Saturday in the Belmont Stakes off a runner-up finish in the Preakness. Tom’s Ready went on to finish second in the Louisiana Derby and 12th in the Kentucky Derby. Forevamo was second in the Risen Star and is now headed to the Indiana Derby on July 16.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Debut dates have been targeted for a pair of 2-year-olds whose ownership groups have been champing at the bit to see those horses in action at Churchill Downs.
Warrior’s Club, a colt by Warrior’s Reward, will be entered to run in a June 23 maiden special weight race, while Dial Me, a filly by Dialed In, is being pointed to a maiden special weight race on closing weekend (July 1-2) of the spring meet.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Kent Desormeaux got reintroduced to Belmont Park and Exaggerator Tuesday morning, guiding the Preakness winner through his final workout in preparation for Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes.
For the Hall of Fame rider, it was his first time at Belmont since last July 6 when he rode two horses for his brother Keith, who is also the trainer of Exaggerator. Tuesday also was Desormeaux’s first time in public since he announced over the weekend he had spent a week in an alcohol rehabilitation program in Utah. He arrived in New York Monday night.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Exaggerator, the Preakness winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up, completed his serious preparation for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes with a five-furlong workout on Tuesday morning at Belmont Park which Daily Racing Form timed in 1:00.92.
What excited trainer Keith Desormeaux more, though, was the way Exaggerator went out after the finish. Exaggerator clicked off his next furlong in almost 12 seconds, for a gallop-out time of 1:12.91. As Exaggerator went into the clubhouse turn, Desormeaux looked at his watch and said simply, “Wow.”
