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NYS Gaming Commission Outlines Belmont Security Protocols

The New York State Gaming Commission has articulated the security protocols it has established for this weekend's Belmont Stakes Festival.

Horses running in the GI Belmont S. will be subject to continuous, 72-hour 'dedicated watch' by experienced security personnel. One guard will be stationed full-time for every Belmont S. entrant. Horses running in the GI Metropolitan H. will be under 'intensified watch,' by six to eight security personnel conducting mobile surveillance and direct horse checks at least three times a shift from 72 hours up to 30 hours prior to post time. A dedicated watch as detailed above will be in place for the final 30 hours.

Horses in the Belmont and the Met must be on the grounds no later than 72 hours prior to the designated post times for each race. Horses must remain on the grounds until after the running of their races.

The NYSGC will obtain out-of-competition blood and hair samples competing in the two races and will have same tested at the New York Equine Drug Testing and Research Program at Morrisville State College. The NYSGC has coordinated with other jurisdictions to obtain OOC samples from horses not stabled in New York.

Horses entered for either the Belmont or the Met may not be treated within 72 hours of the race unless Commission security personnel are present. All treatments performed by vets will be monitored by NYRA or Commission security. No medication or substance may be administered via dose syringe within 24 hours of the races. All syringes and containers for administered medications will be retained by Commission personnel for possible testing.

Veterinarians are required to submit a 72-hour treatment plan for each Belmont and Met runner prior to June 8 at 12 p.m. ET. Comprehensive records for that 72-hour period shall be submitted to the Commission, which will review and publicly post the records to its website.

All persons–including veterinarians, trainers, assistant trainers, farriers, owners, or other connections–on entering the stall, engaging in contact with the horse, or performing any service for the horse, must have a valid Commission license on their person. Such persons will be logged-in by security personnel, along with the reason for their visit. Routine stall and horse maintenance by identified grooms and staff will be monitored, but are exempt from logging. Entry/exit logs will be maintained by NYRA and Commission security.

All equipment, feed, hay bales, etc. are subject to search and seizure by both NYRA and the Commission, as provided by law.

On race day, no treatments will be permitted for horses entered in any Stakes Race pursuant to NYRA policy, unless it is for an emergency or as approved by the Stewards. All horses participating in the Belmont and the Met must report to the Assembly Barn no less than 45 minutes prior to the designated Post Time. On race day, blood samples for TCO2 analysis will be collected from horses in the Assembly Barn between 45 minutes to one hour before post time. Horses will then be escorted to the paddock.

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The Week in Review: Beyond Derby Aspirations, Pletcher Duo Blooms

Getting a 3-year-old to peak precisely on the first Saturday of May is an over-arching goal in our sport. But even for the very upper crust of colts, a brush with GI Kentucky Derby aspirations ends up being nothing more than an early diversion on a much longer development arc.

It's always intriguing to watch how one-time Derby hopefuls progress over months and even years, and two of them from Todd Pletcher's barn signaled Saturday that they might be A-level factors in the second half of this season.

Within the span of 15 minutes June 4, 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready) and Dynamic One (Union Rags) each posted one-length victories, respectively, in the GII Pennine Ridge S. at Belmont Park and in the Listed Blame S. at Churchill Downs.

Emmanuel had been brought up to the cusp of this year's Derby, but after running a no-impact third in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. over a drying-out track that he might not have cared for, Pletcher said the $350,000 KEESEP colt would be freshened for nearly two months and then resurface on grass in the Pennine Ridge against fellow sophomores.

The switch yielded immediate-gratification results, and Emmanuel could now be targeting a bigger lawn party, the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. July 9.

Debuting last Dec. 11, Emmanuel won his first two dirt starts at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs by a combined 10 1/4 lengths while on the front end at every call. In the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., this robust pacemaker was favored until the final flash, then got knocked off his game by failing to attain the lead and enduring a tour-of-the-track trip that hooked him four and five wide on the turns.

After that, Pletcher was on the fence between running back in the GI Florida Derby or shipping for the Blue Grass. Since he had fellow 'Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit) primed for the Gulfstream spot, Emmanuel had to take his show on the road to Keeneland.

Charge It ended up running second in a Florida Derby that featured a three-way pace meltdown, while Emmanuel was no match for blunt-force closer Zandon (Upstart), who would end up going off as the second fave and running third in the Derby.

Pletcher, who also trained Emmanuel's sire in the early 2000s, said as far back as January that Emmanuel was “a bigger, scopier colt” than most of More Than Ready's progeny. He likened Emmanuel to his trainee Verrazano, “a big, physical, strong imposing colt” who won the 2013 GI Haskell Invitational S.

Emmanuel dispatched with his Pennine Ridge foes like an in-control 19-10 favorite who relished being on the lead, practically walking through the first six of nine furlongs, but igniting to life when roused for run in both upper and deep stretch. Like we saw in his first two dirt starts, Emmanuel was never fully extended.

And while his 88 Beyer Speed Figure appears at first glance to be on the soft side (matching his Blue Grass number on dirt), it's also an artifact of the dawdling internal fractions, and offset by a final furlong timed in an eye-catching :11.89 for the “about” distance.

Better late than never…

Dynamic One has taken a bit longer to figure things out. Now four, he ran the worst of four Pletcher entrants in the 2021 Derby, getting pinballed at the break and checking hard the first time past the sixteenth pole. He was never in it to win it, turning for home last at the quarter pole and gaining only one position by passing an eased-up entrant.

After an 0-for-3 start in the winter of 2020-21, Pletcher hadn't sugarcoated that he expected better out of this $725,000 KEESEP colt. But he also explained how Dynamic One was hindered by shorter distances and outer gate draws before breaking his maiden by 5 1/4 lengths in start number four when stretched out to nine furlongs. In a bid to accrue last-chance Derby qualifying points, Dynamic One earned respect with a wide-on-both bends effort in the GII Wood Memorial S. at 15-1 odds, losing the race only on the final head bob.

Despite a top-side pedigree anchored by the 2012 GI Belmont S. winner and a female family that resonates with Phipps-homebred stayers, Dynamic One was in way over his head when taking the seemingly obligatory shot in the Derby. He rebounded by winning the Listed Curlin S. at Saratoga last summer, ran seventh in the GI Runhappy Travers S., then was shelved until this spring, when he ran third in the GIII Challenger S. at Tampa and second in the GIII Ben Ali S. at Keeneland.

But Dynamic One's trip-troubled go in the Ben Ali was far better than it appeared on paper. Committed to the rail, he was rated back “on hold” for a good portion of his backstretch run, then got shuffled to last to regroup. He blitzed through a wall of traffic off the turn with his head cocked out toward the stands, and was getting to the tiring repeat winner, Scalding (Nyquist), in the final stages.

On Saturday in the nine-furlong Blame, bettors let Dynamic One drift up to 6-1 behind second-favored Scalding and another Pletcher entrant, the 11-10 chalk Americanrevolution (Constitution). A five-way speed scrimmage broke out on the first turn, then percolated down the backstretch, playing right into Dynamic One's off-pace tactics.

Cued to quicken three-eighths out, he methodically picked off speed-sapped leaders, and being spun out to the six path turning for home was no worry given the head of steam Dynamic One had built over the course of his prolonged, quarter-mile bid.

Despite his name, this is not the type of colt who will wow you with one spectacular flourish. But slow and steady still wins a few races here in speed-centric North America, and when five horses lined up at the eighth pole, all with a chance to win it, it was clear that Dynamic One had built the best momentum.

Off a career-best 99 Beyer, Dynamic One is a candidate for either the GII Stephen Foster S. at Churchill July 2 or the GII Suburban S. at Belmont July 9.

That latter option could set up both Emmanuel and Dynamic One for important 10-furlong tries on the same afternoon in two different races.

Not exactly the 1 1/4-mile test those Pletcher stablemates were initially aimed for at earlier points in their careers–but not bad consolation prizes, either.

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Golden Glider Works for Belmont

Golden Glider (Ghostzapper), most recently second in the GIII Peter Pan S., tuned up for Saturday's GI Belmont S. with a four-furlong work in :49.90 (33/84) at Belmont Park Sunday. NYRA clockers caught the colt, with exercise rider Kylie Wellington up, through a quarter-mile in :26.20 and a gallop-out in 1:02.80.

“I thought he worked really well. He settled early, which is what you want out of a Belmont horse, and flew home,” trainer Mark Casse said.

Casse won the 2019 Belmont with Sir Winston (Awesome Again), who also finished second in the Peter Pan heading into the Test of the Champion. The Hall of Fame trainer expects Golden Glider will have no trouble with the Belmont's 1 1/2-mile distance.

“I'm not worried about the mile and a half, it's just how long it's going to take him,” said Casse, with a laugh. “He's a one-paced type of horse, so I'm hoping he'll have a similar trip like Sir Winston. In his previous races, Sir Winston used to come from the clouds, but in the Belmont, Joel Rosario kept him close enough and I could see the same thing happening Saturday with Dylan [Davis].”

Also working Sunday ahead of Saturday's stakes-packed card at Belmont, Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) went four furlongs in :48.01 (5/117) over the training track ahead of an engagement in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H.

“I let him pick it up a little more,” trainer Bill Mott said. “He shaded :24 coming home today. He was off nice and I had him in :47 3/5. The gallop out was just normal. We let him finish up to the wire.”

Speaker's Corner, a Godolphin homebred, won the GIII Fred Hooper S. at Gulfstream in January, the GII Gulfstream Park Mile in March and is coming off a win in the Apr. 9 GI Carter H.

“We've had a nice schedule. We've got a good foundation and plenty of time to be fresh for this race, so hopefully it works out,” Mott said. “He seems to be doing well and we got all our works in and been fortunate enough that we haven't missed anything. We did what we wanted to do.”

Trainer Chad Brown sent out GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. hopeful Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) to work five furlongs in 1:01.80 (1/3) over the inner turf course at Belmont Sunday.

“He worked really good,” Brown said. “He likes Belmont quite a bit and the key with him is firm turf. If the turf is firm on Saturday, he will run.”

Rockemperor won the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. over the Belmont lawn last year.

Also working for the Manhattan, Gufo (Declaration of War) worked four furlongs in company in :49.60 (9/19) over the inner turf course at Belmont Sunday.

“Gufo worked great and is ready for the Manhattan,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “He tried very hard and ran very well in the Man o' War.”

Third in last year's Manhattan, Gufo is coming off a runner-up effort in the May 14 GI Man o'War S.

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Klesaris Files Appeal of Voided Claim

Trainer Robert Klesaris and his lawyer Drew Mollica have filed an appeal of the voided claim of Battalion (Tiznow) following the fourth race at Belmont Park May 28 with the New York State Gaming Commission. Mollica has filed a brief on behalf of Klesaris and owner Mike DeBella and the matter will be heard June 7 by Peter Moschetti.

Battalion finished seventh in the May 28 race and, when he received no notification of any claim, Klesaris said he had the horse returned to his barn. Once notified that trainer Rob Atras and owner Sanford Goldfarb had actually won a shake for the 5-year-old gelding, Klesaris had the horse sent to the testing barn, where he arrived shortly after 2:49 p.m., according to the filing. At 3:14 p.m., Klesaris was notified by Steward Brooke Hawkins that the claim had been voided because the horse was not at the testing barn. The void was later confirmed by New York Gaming Commission Steward Braulio Baeza.

In the filing, Klesaris seeks to have the commission vacate the voiding of the claim and transfer ownership of Battalion to Atras and Goldfarb.

“Our position is clear and unmitigated,” said Mollica. “There was no reason the claim should have been voided. Mr. Klesaris followed every rule and every order of the Gaming Commission. The horse was returned to the test barn in a timely manner as soon as he was notified. The horse should have been transferred at that point. There was no reason or rule that the claim should have been voided. The ruling against Frank Gabriel is a smokescreen for the wrongful voiding of this claim.”

In response to a TDN request for comment on the filing, the Gaming Commission's Brad Maione said, “This matter is the subject of an appeal. It would be inappropriate to comment on a pending adjudication.”

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