Belmont Park
Weather: Sunny
Track: Fast
Temperature: 64 degrees
ELMONT, N.Y. – There are seven likely Belmont Stakes starters currently stabled on the grounds at Belmont Park. Four of them turned in their final works for the final leg of the 2022 Triple Crown on Saturday morning, including WE THE PEOPLE, whose “buzz horse” status likely gained additional supporters after a sharp half-mile drill with his trainer, Rodolphe Brisset, aboard.
Gulfstream Park has canceled racing for Saturday and Sunday because of heavy rains brought about by a tropical storm system in South Florida, the track announced.
South Florida was under a tropical storm warning Saturday morning, according to the press release. Gulfstream remained open for simulcasting and casino operations.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Fifteen years after he won the Belmont Stakes with a filly, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will try to do it again in the 154th running of the Belmont next Saturday.
Pletcher, who won the 2007 Belmont with Rags to Riches, all but confirmed Nest, the Kentucky Oaks runner-up, as a starter for this year’s Belmont following a Saturday workout over the Belmont training track. Nest went a half-mile in 49.89 seconds, per Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch, in company with Mo Donegal, the Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher who also is running in the Belmont.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Graded stakes winners Messier and Interstatedaydream remain eligible for the $1 million Queen’s Plate and $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, respectively, following a sustaining payment made by June 1.
Messier, based at Santa Anita with trainer Tim Yakteen, is exiting a 15th place finish in the Kentucky Derby. He took the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis by 15 lengths in February before ending up second to stablemate Taiba in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in April.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Mish will move to a one-turn mile for his next start after running second around two turns in the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile on Monday at Lone Star Park.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Friday that Mish is being pointed for the $175,000 Hanshin on July 4 at Churchill Downs. The race for 4-year-olds and up will be run at a one-turn mile configuration.
Mish had won back-to-back one-turn mile races at Gulfstream Park heading into the Sexton Mile. He set the pace Monday and finished a length and a half behind winner Silver Prospector.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Andiamo a Firenze, a 2-year-old half-brother to $2.7 million earner Firenze Fire, won his debut by four lengths Friday at Belmont Park.
Breaking alertly from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr. Andiamo a Firenze got loose on the lead through fractions of 22.49 seconds, 45.90, and was taken in hand by Ortiz coming to the wire as he covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.27 over a sealed, sloppy track.
Andiamo a Firenze, a New York-bred colt by Speightstown, is owned and bred by Ron Lombardi’s Mr. Amore Stables, who also owned Firenze Fire.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Santin, upset winner of the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, will attempt to stretch out to 1 1/4 miles in the Grade 1 Manhattan here on June 11, trainer Brendan Walsh confirmed Thursday.
Santin, a son of Distorted Humor, won the Turf Classic by a neck over Mira Mission, with it being six lengths back to third-place finisher Adhamo, the 2-1 race favorite.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Aloha West, the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner, blitzed five furlongs in 58.60 seconds Friday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for his meeting on June 11 with Flightline and Speaker’s Corner in the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park.
Churchill clocker John Nichols caught Aloha West’s three furlongs in 34.60 seconds, and had his last quarter in 24-flat while galloping out six furlongs in 1:11.60 and seven furlongs in 1:25.20.
“That’s not with company or sticking him,” trainer Wayne Catalano said. “That’s pretty damn good.”
Taiba, who finished 12th as the 5-1 second choice in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7, worked three furlongs in 36.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Friday.
The workout was the first for Taiba since he finished 17 3/4 lengths behind winner Rich Strike in the 20-runner Kentucky Derby, the colt’s third start.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Smash Ticket was a smashing winner of her 3-year-old debut on Monday at Lone Star Park and she could be part of an expanded division of horses trainer Todd Fincher plans to send to Del Mar for the summer meet that opens in July.
“We’re planning on taking a few more this year,” Fincher said. “I only ended up taking four or five last year. We’d like to bring 10, 12.”
