Tag: Tapit Trice

Belmont Tune Ups Include Final Works from Cox Barn Trio

With one week out until the GI Belmont S., a trio of Brad Cox trainees put in their final works ahead of the last leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Tapit Shoes (Tapit) each put in five-furlong works while a handful of additional Cox stable stars completed their final tune-ups in preparation for bids in a jam-packed Belmont undercard. The Churchill Downs-based Cox contingent is set to head to Belmont Park on Monday.

Angel of Empire, who finished third in the GI Kentucky Derby, completed the fastest work of Cox's Belmont contenders, stopping the clock in 59.80 seconds.

The winner of the GII Risen Star S. and GI Arkansas Derby for Albaugh Family Stables, Angel of Empire put in a closing bid in the Kentucky Derby to angle wide from the back of the pack and get up for third.

“I think he has more to show,” Cox said. “We always thought he would get better with the more he does based off pedigree and his physical, and he has. His numbers in the Kentucky Derby went forward and he's had five weeks to recover from that number. From a physical standpoint, he seems to be continuing to develop and I love what we've seen from him in his works.”

The Pennsylvania-bred colt's three post-Derby works have led Cox to believe that Angel of Empire will relish the Belmont distance.

“He always gallops out well,” Cox explained. “Probably the best part of his works is that around the second turn, he just continues to want to gallop out up the backside. We're excited about giving him the opportunity to go that far.”

Based on how the Belmont field is shaping up, Cox said he is hopeful that Angel of Empire can sit a bit more forwardly placed this time around.

“I think everyone is going to be a little bit closer to the pace. We're probably not going to see 45 and change in the Belmont. If we do, I don't know who's going to do that. I think naturally, he will probably be a little bit more forwardly placed than he was in the Kentucky Derby.”

Not far behind Angel of Empire in the Kentucky Derby was fellow Cox trainee Hit Show. After breaking from the one post, the gray sat a few horses off the pace along the rail and then looked poised for success when he circled wide around the far turn, but the May 9 foal was unable to fend off the likes of Mage (Gun Runner) and was urged on by Manny France to stay up for fifth.

A homebred for Gary and Mary West, Hit Show earned his Derby points at Aqueduct, winning the GIII Withers S. by five and a half lengths and then finishing second in the GII Wood Memorial S.

Cox said that the colt's affinity for New York could serve him well on Belmont day.

“He's had some success at Aqueduct, and with NYRA tracks, they seem to be just a little bit deeper and sandier. He was capable of getting through at Aqueduct, so we're hopeful that he can get through the Belmont track. We thought he ran a really good race in the Kentucky Derby and we're excited about him going a mile and a half. Manny Franco came back and mentioned the Belmont right away, so he could be a horse that can move forward in the Belmont.”

On Saturday morning, Hit Show covered five furlongs in 1:01.60.

The last of Cox's Belmont-bound colts, Tapit Shoes, has put in four works at Churchill Downs since running second to GI Preakness fourth-place finisher Red Route One (Gun Runner) in the Bath House Row S. at Oaklawn Park on April 22. In his work on Saturday, he stopped the clock at 1:00.60.

Owned in partnership by Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers Racing, Martin Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing, Winners Win and Michael Caruso, Tapit Shoes broke his maiden by seven and a half lengths at Fair Grounds last December. This year, he ran fourth and then third against allowance company before his second-place finish in the stakes at Oaklawn.

Cox said that colt's pedigree was a major consideration in sending the son of Tapit-who is the sire of four Belmont S. winners–to his graded stakes debut in the final leg of the Triple Crown.

“He's by Tapit, which obviously everyone knows that those horses perform well at a mile and a half on dirt…and he's a half to GISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner),” Cox said. “He seems to be getting better the more he does. He took a move forward  in the Bath House Row S. and he's had plenty of time to recover from that. I think he obviously has to take another move forward and I'm hoping that he will. He's a pretty consistent workhorse, steady, and always gallops out well. He gives us some confidence that he could like the mile and a half.”

In addition to Cox's Belmont contenders, champion Caravel (Mizzen Mast) will also make a Grade I bid in the Jaipur S. next weekend. Campaigned by Quatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Madaket Stables, the winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint was originally slated for  the G1 King's Stand at Royal Ascot, but her connections opted for the much shorter journey to Belmont for the six-furlong Jaipur, which is a Breeders' Cup challenge race and offers an automatic berth to the Turf Sprint.

“She had a big run at Belmont last year in the GIII Intercontinental S., so we're going to see if we can do it again this year only against the boys in a Grade I,” said Cox. “She's obviously capable of that, having won the Breeders' Cup, and she's really doing well right now. She physically looks amazing.”

Caravel breezed four furlongs on the Churchill Downs turf on May 24 and then went the same distance over the main track in :49.40 on Thursday.

“We opted to breeze on the dirt just with scheduling and shipping and everything,” Cox explained. “She's a good workhouse and had a good gallop out. We're happy with the way she looks and how she's moving.

Belmont Workers at Belmont, Gulfstream

Also on Saturday morning, Todd Pletcher's Belmont-bound pair of juvenile champion Forte (Violence) and GI Blue Grass S. victor Tapit Trice (Tapit) took to the main track at Belmont.

 

Repole Stable and St. Elis Stable's Forte put in a five furlong breeze under Irad Ortiz Jr. in :59.67, working in company with maiden winner Varatti (Into Mischief).

“I thought it was a super good breeze,” Pletcher said afterward. “He went 59 and 3 and it looked like he was doing it well within himself, good gallop out. He came back and cooled out quickly. It was exactly what we were hoping he would go out there and do and I think based off the strength of his breezes, he's coming into it as well as we hope.”

After he was scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby due to a bruised right front foot, Forte was placed on a mandatory 14-day veterinary list. According to HISA Rule 2241(a), in order to be removed from the list Forte had to work in front of a regulatory veterinarian–which he completed last week–and then produce a blood sample following that work. Pletcher said that Forte's blood sample came back negative.

Tapit Trice, who finished seventh in the GI Kentucky Derby for Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable, worked a half-mile in :49.89 on Saturday, going in company with winner Classic Catch (Classic Empire).

“I thought he looked great,” Pletcher reported. “He's getting over the ground really well. He's a good-moving horse. We were looking to do a little less with him than we were with Forte, since he ran in the Derby and has had two breezes since then. It was more of a maintenance work for him and it seems like he continues to take to the main track here really well.”

Meanwhile at Gulfstream, Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) worked five furlongs in 1:00.88. Joining the Belmont field coming off an allowance optional claiming win on May 11, the colt is trained by Antonio Sano and campaigned by Alexandres, Inc.

 

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Forte, Angel of Empire, Hit Show Lead Belmont Work Tab; Kingsbarns Ruled Out

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher gave a “thumbs up” following a Saturday morning breeze from Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's reigning champion 2-Year-Old Forte (Violence), who worked five-eighths over the Belmont Park main track in preparation for the GI Belmont S.

NYRA clockers caught Forte through three-eighths in :35 before completing five furlongs in 1:00.44 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 over the fast main track.

“I was really, really happy. I thought he was moving great. He got into a good rhythm, finished up great and galloped out nice and well,” Pletcher said. “It seems like he's maintained his fitness level. We thought that last week when he breezed a half that he recovered pretty quickly, and even more so today after a strong breeze and big gallop out. It seems like everything is in good order.”

Pletcher said Dr. Sarah Hinchliffe, NYRA's Senior Examining Veterinarian, was pleased with the work and subsequent exam.

“It went very well. She examined him before he breezed, watched him on the track during the breeze and after the breeze and then came back to the barn and examined him again,” Pletcher said. “She said she was happy. They pulled blood and she gets results in five days on that and that should take care of everything.”

He added that both Forte and Tapit Trice (Tapit) would likely log their final Belmont Stakes breezes Saturday, June 3.

Pletcher also reported that GII Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo), who finished 14th in the GI Kentucky Derby, will miss the Belmont Stakes after he missed a scheduled breeze on Friday while demonstrating signs of colic that morning.

“We're going to be knocked off course. He had a bout of colic,” Pletcher said. “He's fine, no surgery needed. They just have to administer some fluids. It's unfortunate timing, but it's not something that we can [control]. We can't get a breeze in the next day or two so we're going to run out of time. We'll make sure he's OK and then come up with a game plan.”

Brad Cox's GI Belmont S. contenders Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) (five furlongs, :59.80) and Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) (five furlongs, 1:00.20) worked Saturday in preparation for the June 10 classic.

Angel of Empire was one of the first workers to go as the track opened at 5:30 a.m. when he and stablemate Warrant (Constitution) (five furlongs, 1:00.20) worked in company. Shortly after their move, Hit Show breezed outside Salute the Stars (Candy Ride {Arg}).

Another Saturday morning worker was Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy (Runhappy), the winner of the GII Alysheba S. on Kentucky Oaks Day. He returned to the work tab for the first time since the Alysheba and completed an easy half-mile in :49.60 at 9 a.m.

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Tapit Trice, Il Miracolo Work Towards Belmont

'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), a latest seventh to Mage (Good Magic) in the GI Kentucky Derby May 6, went five furlongs in 1:00.22 over a fast Belmont main track Friday morning in his penultimate work ahead of the GI Belmont S. at Big Sandy June 10. He galloped out three-quarters of a mile in a strong 1:12.60 and was up seven furlongs in 1:25.

“Super breeze, big gallop out,” trainer Todd Pletcher said following the work. “He seems to really like the main track here. I'm very, very happy with the way he's been training. He hasn't missed a beat since the Derby. He's settled in well. He's been galloping over the main track. He had a breeze last week [half-mile in :49.04 May 19] and a more serious breeze today. It was a major piece of work today, we'll come back for a maintenance- type breeze next week. We always thought the mile and a half would suit him.”

A win would make Tapit Trice the fifth son of Tapit to take the Belmont, adding to the previous successes of Tonalist (2014), Creator (2016), Tapwrit (2017) and Essential Quality (2021). Pletcher likes the colt's chances of seeing out the 12 furlongs.

“He's out of a Dunkirk (Unbridled's Song) mare who I trained and ran second [to Summer Bird] in the [2009] Belmont. From a pedigree standpoint, you would think he's capable,” Pletcher said. “He's got that big, long galloping stride. I think the main thing is making sure that he gets into that comfortable rhythm and doesn't give himself too much to do early on. The Belmont is not necessarily a closer's race, but it seems like he's really coming up to it the right way.”

Would-be Derby favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) and Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) were scheduled to breeze Friday, but the former will now work Saturday morning at 8:45. Pletcher was unsure when Kingsbarns would return to the tab.

“He's got a little bit of a bellyache today, so we weren't able to breeze him,” Pletcher said of Kingsbarns.

At Gulfstream Park Friday morning, trainer Antonio Sano sent out Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) for a five-furlong move over a sloppy main track that was clocked in 1:01.06.

“He had a very good work. He leaves for Belmont next Saturday,” Sano said. “It's a very strong race and the horse is a little green right now, but I hope he can run well and run a strong race.”

Sixth and well-beaten behind Forte in the GII Fountain of Youth S. and again in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, Il Miracolo was the wire-to-wire winner of a one-mile allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream May 11.

 

 

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Forte Works At Belmont, Takes Step Closer To Belmont S.

Eclipse Award winner Forte (Violence) worked a half-mile in :50.31 breezing Sunday morning at Belmont Park, which has him back on a path to make it to the GI Belmont S. It was his first work since he was scratched the morning of the GI Kentucky Derby by a state veterinarian due to a foot bruise.

After the scratch, Forte was placed on the vet's list in Kentucky for 14 days, which meant he could not run in the GI Preakness S.

“He looked very good in this work and everything is pointing in the direction of the Belmont,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.

There is one more hurdle to be cleared before he can became eligible for the race. Pletcher said that Forte will work again on Friday and will do so before a veterinarian. If the vet is satisfied with the work he will be officially cleared.

When asked if he thought Forte would pass that test, Pletcher replied: “Knock on wood, but I am super happy with him right now.”

It will be a less-than-ideal scenario for Forte coming into the Belmont. His work Sunday was his first in 22 days and he will be entering a mile-and-a-half race off a 10-week layoff. His last race was the win in the GI Florida Derby on April 1.

Pletcher doesn't think those obstacles are insurmountable.

“I think we have a chance to have him at his best,” said Pletcher, a four-time Belmont Stakes winner. “He's got a high degree of natural fitness. This morning he did everything very effortlessly and galloped out nicely and wasn't blowing at all. He pulled up and came back to the barn. And we still have time for two more good, solid works which I think would have him ready to go. It will be 10 weeks between races and it's a mile-and-a-half, but he gives me the impression, despite missing that little bit of training, that he's retained his fitness very well.”

It's been a tough few weeks for Forte and his connections, who had to watch a horse in Mage (Good Magic) that Forte beat twice go on to win the Kentucky Derby.

“It's been very frustrating and very disappointing,” Pletcher said. “Most of all I'm disappointed for the owners, the connections and especially for the horse. He seems to be the most talented colt in the group and for him to not get that chance to run was frustrating. I probably jinxed this horse when I talked about how perfectly everything was going during the winter and early spring. Thankfully, it was just a foot bruise. He's fully recovered from it now and is training the way we've grown accustomed to seeing him train.”

Pletcher said he could have as many as four horses in the Belmont. Tapit Trice (Tapit), who was seventh in the Derby, is a definite go. He said he will consult with the owners of Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo), who was 14th in the Derby, before making a decision regarding his Belmont status. Prove Worthy (Curlin), a recent maiden winner at Churchill, is also under consideration.

Though Tapit Trice didn't run his best in the Derby, he could be among the favorites in the Belmont. Pletcher has a history of taking horses who didn't bring their “A” game to the Derby and, after passing the Preakness, having them ready to go for a big effort in the Belmont. It's a pattern he followed last year with Belmont winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), who was fifth in the Derby.

“This path has worked well for us in the past,” Pletcher said. “He's a horse that I've always felt would suit the Belmont very well. He's by Tapit, who has had a lot of success in the Belmont. He's out of a Dunkirk mare and we finished second in the Belmont with him.  He's a big, long-striding colt and I think the big, wide sweeping turns at Belmont will suit him very well. We've seen in a couple of his races, including the Tampa Bay Derby, that he doesn't run tight turns really well. The bigger oval at Belmont will really suit him.”

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