National Treasure, Red Route One Work for Belmont

GI Preakness S. winner National Treasure (Quality Road) worked five furlongs in :59.55 seconds over Belmont Park's main track on Monday in preparation for Saturday's $1.5 million GI Belmont S. With exercise rider Erick Garcia aboard, the colt galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.20 and seven furlongs in 1:25.20.

“He worked very well this morning,” trainer Bob Baffert's assistant, Jimmy Barnes, said. “It's a big track and you can find yourself lost out there. Erick did an excellent job working him and now we're just waiting for the race.”

National Treasure is owned by the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will be aboard for the 1 1/2-mile Classic.

Also working Monday was Winchell Thoroughbreds' Red Route One (Gun Runner), who posted a half-mile in :50.20 over Belmont Park's training track. The colt most recently finished fourth behind National Treasure in the Preakness.

“I thought he went beautiful,” Toby Sheets, trainer Steve Asmussen's Belmont-based assistant, said. “It was nice and fluid and he came back with good energy. I'm very happy with him. We wanted to be out on the track before it got really busy. He's doing everything right and I have no complaints.”

Raise Cain (Violence), winner of the GIII Gotham S. and most recently eighth in the GI Kentucky Derby will skip the Belmont, trainer Ben Colebrook confirmed Monday. The colt will instead go postward the following day in the GIII Matt Winn S., which was originally scheduled to be run at Churchill Downs, but will now be run at Ellis Park.

“It shifted to Ellis and the distance changed to a mile and an eighth…That kind of moved the needle,” Colebrook explained.

Post positions for the 155th Belmont will be drawn Tuesday morning at 11:05 a.m. ET.

Post positions for the 155th Belmont will be drawn Tuesday morning at 11:05 a.m. ET.

The post National Treasure, Red Route One Work for Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Messier Has It Easy In Bob Hope At Del Mar

After a last-out victory in a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita Park, Messier made a successful move up to stakes company in the Grade 3 Bob Hope at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, biding his time early and drawing away late to win by three lengths.

In a short field of four, Bob Baffert had a strong hand with Messier, Kamui, and Winning Map, who went to the lead out of the gate, trading the frontrunner status with Richard Mandella's Forbidden Kingdom down the backstretch. Messier hung back in last, relaxed behind a fast pace, the first quarter in :21.40 and the half-mile in :43.23.

Around the far turn, Messier went to the outside of the two front runners, pulling even with them as they entered the stretch. Down the Del Mar stretch, those early quick fractions took their toll on Forbidden Kingdom and Winning Map who tired as Messier quickened his pace and passed them to win easily. Forbidden Kingdom was second, Winning Map third, and Kamui was fourth.

The final time for the seven-furlong Bob Hope was 1:22.74. Find this race's chart here.

Messier paid $4.40 and $2.60. Forbidden Kingdom paid $4.00. With only four starters, this race did not have any show betting.

Bred in Ontario by Sam-Son Farm, Messier is a 2-year-old colt by Empire Maker out of the Smart Strike mare Checkered Past, a listed stakes winner at Woodbine. He is owned by Golconda Stable, Madaket Stables LLC, SF Racing LLC, Siena Farm LLC, Starlight Racing, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Robert E. Masterson, and Jay A. Schoenfarber. Messier was consigned by Sam-Son Farm and sold to SF/Starlight/Madaket for $470,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase. With his win in the G3 Bob Hope, the 2-year-old has two wins in three starts for career earnings of $105,600.

The post Messier Has It Easy In Bob Hope At Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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