Andrew and Rania Warren's Gotham (G3) winner Raise Cain will breeze on Monday at Keeneland in preparation for the $1.5-million Belmont Stakes (G1) June 10.
Trained by Ben Colebrook, the Violence colt was a troubled eighth last out in the Kentucky Derby (G1), finishing 10 lengths back of the victorious Mage. He had his first work back on May 22 at Keeneland, covering a half-mile in :50.80.
“He's come out of the Derby good and he'll work again tomorrow,” said Colebrook by phone from Kentucky. “If all is well, we'll ship up right before the race. He'll do all his work here.”
Raise Cain saved ground in ninth position through the early running of the Derby and made his move into the stretch only to be stymied by the fading pace presser Kingsbarns.
“He had a good trip early, but late in the race he got wiped out by Kingsbarns stopping and Disarm was coming and we got sandwiched and shuffled back. But he came running again to get up for eighth,” Colebrook said.
The $180,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase rose to prominence with his 7 1/2-length Gotham romp in March at Aqueduct Racetrack traveling a one-turn mile over a muddy and sealed main track.
Recruiter and Carmel Road dueled through swift splits of :22.52 and :45.53 in the one-mile Gotham, but Raise Cain, who was 11th of 14 early, advanced willingly under Jose Lezcano, overcoming traffic problems at the quarter pole before swinging four-wide to take command with an eighth to run and drawing clear.
The talented bay exited that effort to finish a late-moving fifth into slow fractions in the Blue Grass (G1) in April at Keeneland, closing from 10th-of-11 in the nine-furlong route won by Belmont Stakes rival Tapit Trice.
With a moderate pace often the norm in the 12-furlong Belmont, Colebrook said he is entrusting jockey Junior Alvarado with working out a more prominent trip.
“I don't think we'll get as much pace in the Belmont as we got in the Gotham unfortunately. So, we'll have to work out a different trip,” Colebrook said. “In the Blue Grass, we were just a little too far back off of slow fractions. If there's slow fractions in the Belmont, we're going to have to be a little bit closer and I think Junior will be great for that.”
Colebrook, a former assistant for New York-based Christophe Clement, enjoyed past success in 2018 at Belmont with Limousine Liberal, who he saddled to a third-place finish in the Metropolitan (G1) and a neck victory over Whitmore in the Belmont Sprint Championship (G2).
“I remember going there the first time when I was working for Christophe Clement and everyone tells you how big it is,” said Colebrook of the famous 'Big Sandy'. “But then you get out there as an exercise rider and the sheer size and scope of the place is like nothing else. It's a different atmosphere for a horse with those sweeping turns.”
Pedigree could be on Raise Cain's side in the Belmont being sired by a son of Medaglia d'Oro, who finished second in the 2002 Belmont Stakes. His dam, Lemon Belle, is by Lemon Drop Kid, who won the 1999 Belmont Stakes.
There's significant route depth to Raise Cain's profile as his second dam is multiple graded stakes winner Queenie Belle, who produced millionaire and 2010 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (G1) winner Unrivaled Belle.
Early Look At Belmont (G1) Probables
HORSE / JOCKEY / TRAINER / OWNER
Angel of Empire / Flavien Prat / Brad Cox / Albaugh Family Stables
Arcangelo / Javier Castellano / Jena Antonucci / Blue Rose Farm
Forte / Irad Ortiz, Jr. / Todd Pletcher / Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable
Hit Show / Manny Franco / Brad Cox / Gary and Mary West
Il Miracolo / Marcos Meneses / Antonio Sano / Alexandres
National Treasure / John Velazquez / Bob Baffert / SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan
Raise Cain / Junior Alvarado / Ben Colebrook / Andrew Warren & Rania Warren
Red Route One / Joel Rosario / Steve Asmussen / Winchell Thoroughbreds
Tapit Trice / Luis Saez / Todd Pletcher / Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable
Possible: Prove Worthy (Pletcher), Reincarnate (Baffert), Tapit Shoes (Cox)
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