Tag: Triple Crown

Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing and trainer Kenny McPeek's Magdalena Racing's Creative Minister recorded his first breeze over Belmont Park's main track on Tuesday, sailing through a half-mile in 48.33 seconds in his penultimate work for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 11.

McPeek, who sent out Sarava for a 70-1 upset score in the 2002 Belmont Stakes, said he was pleased with the breeze from Creative Minister, who arrived in New York on Wednesday.

“This horse is all class. It was a nice little maintenance half-mile and wasn't anything complicated,” said McPeek. “We just wanted to let him stretch his legs a little over the track. I think historically it's a track you've got to get used to. I had luck with Sarava training him up there immediately after the Preakness.”

Creative Minister stepped onto the main track at 5:35 a.m. Eastern with Heman Harkie aboard and stood quietly near the first turn of Big Sandy, ears forward and observing the action around him for about 10 minutes. Harkie then schooled the son of Creative Cause around the first turn and spent a considerable amount of time allowing him to get familiar with his surroundings.

Harkie and Creative Minister continued on to the backside and began the half-mile drill under a light haze and muggy temperatures in the low 70s. NYRA clockers caught Creative Minister marking off a quarter-mile in 24 seconds over the fast track, rolling through without much urging from Harkie. Rounding the turn and heading for the wire, Harkie remained still aboard the grey colt who continued a steady rhythm down the stretch to complete the work in 48.33 seconds, galloping out five-eighths in 1:01 flat.

“He's a smart horse. He's a really smooth traveler,” said Harkie, who has been galloping Creative Minister for the past few days. “You ask him, he'll take you where you want to go. He handled the surface pretty good. I really like him. He's got a long, nice stride. It feels great for a rider like me to get on a horse like that. It was such an amazing breeze.”

McPeek said he is satisfied with Creative Minister's preparations thus far over Big Sandy.

“He's been walking through the paddock every day and galloping a mile and a quarter every day or so with lighter gallops in between,” McPeek said. “Pretty simple stuff.”

Creative Minister was last seen finishing an even third in the Grade 1 Preakness on May 21 where he was defeated 3 1/2 lengths by Early Voting. He stalked the pace in fifth under Brian Hernandez, Jr. on an inside path before angling out in the turn and making a bid for the lead. He held position well to secure show honors by 2 3/4 lengths over returning Belmont Stakes rival Skippylongstocking. Hernandez, Jr. will retain the mount for the Belmont Stakes.

“It was another big step forward for him,” McPeek said of the Preakness effort. “He showed he fits in with some of the better 3-year-olds in the nation.”

Out of the Tapit mare Tamboz, Creative Minister is a half-brother to three graded stakes placed runners in Dolder Grand, Oceanwave and Battalion Runner. Six of Tamboz's eight foals to race have earned at least one stakes placing. Creative Minister was bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm.

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RED-TR Racing's Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Rich Strike dazzled fans Monday at Churchill Downs with a five-furlong move in :59 between Races 5-6 in his final major preparation toward the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 11.

With rider Gabe Lagunes in the saddle, Rich Strike clipped off eighth-mile fractions of :11.80, :23.20, and :34.80, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Robertson. The 80-1 upset winner of the Kentucky Derby galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 and completed seven furlongs in 1:26.

Trainer Eric Reed watched the work from the backside so he could watch his prized colt gallop out and supervise him coming off the track.

“He got away real well and worked exactly like we wanted him to do,” Reed said. “The track was a little quicker since it was in the afternoon but it was exactly what we wanted to do. Yesterday he was starting to relax in the morning. After some time away from the races that's sort of what we've seen from him. There's no doubt about his confidence. We've seen him come off the track in mornings more playful. It's like he knows what he did in the Derby. I still don't think we've seen the best of him.”

Rich Strike is scheduled to leave early Tuesday morning to compete in the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes, the third jewel of racing's Triple Crown. Reed and owner Rick Dawson opted to skip the second leg, the Preakness, to give Rich Strike more time between starts. The former $30,000 claimer has been based at Churchill Downs' Barn 17 for nearly two weeks.

“We're going on with the year with no regrets,” Reed said. “We did what was best for Ritchie and I'm confident we made the right decision.”

Depending on the result in the Belmont, Rich Strike could return to Churchill Downs later this spring.

Video interview courtesy Jennie Rees/Kentucky HBPA

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WinStar Farm, CMNWLTH and Siena Farm's We the People put in his penultimate work Friday in preparation for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, covering a half-mile in 48.39 seconds over the Belmont main track.

“It was an easy half, very routine for him,” said trainer Rodolphe Brisset, who was aboard for the work. “It was exactly what we were looking for. Just a maintenance work to put us in a perfect spot for next week. We just like the way he's been acting and training here. He's not an easy horse and he looks like he's maturing at the right time. Hopefully, the next two weeks will be the same.”

The son of Constitution established himself as a top contender for the Belmont with a resounding win in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on May 14, the final local prep for the “Test of the Champion.” We the People led every step of the way over a good and sealed Big Sandy to win his first graded stakes by 10 1/4 lengths. He covered the nine furlongs in 1:48.27 and earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“We were happy with the number and you will always have people say it was a sealed track and an easy lead,” said Brisset. “But I just feel like that was the right effort right before the Belmont and I think it's the right move to point him to the big one now.”

Brisset's other runner in the Peter Pan, Western River, rounded out the superfecta after stumbling at the start and putting in a bid down the lane. The Tapit grey was bested a neck for show honors by Electability, who finished a nose behind runner-up Golden Glider.

Brisset said that Western River had been under consideration for the Belmont but will bypass with other summer goals in mind.

“We took him out of consideration a few days ago and he's already back at Keeneland,” Brisset said. “If we had run one-two [in the Peter Pan], the entry fee and running fee would have been waived for the Belmont, but he got beat a head and a neck for the place. He'd have to face We the People again and we felt it just wasn't the right move for the horse.”

Western River could target graded company this summer or a potential start in the $135,000 Curlin on July 29 at Saratoga Race Course.

“We will be looking at an allowance at Churchill Downs in June and if he wins that, we'd look at the [Grade 3] Indiana or Ohio Derby or even the Curlin,” Brisset said.

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Kuchar could be under consideration for a start in the Belmont after a victory going 1 1/4 miles in an off-the-turf allowance for 3-year-olds and up at Churchill on May 22.

Ridden to victory by Florent Geroux, the Uncle Mo colt tracked in second through the first three-quarters before taking command and leading the rest of the way. Kuchar dug down and maintained his advantage down the lane and crossed the wire two lengths the best.

“Kuchar is under consideration for the Belmont just because he won at a mile and a quarter and beat older horses,” said Brisset. “Speaking with Florent after the race, he said he was waiting on horses. Watching the replay, you can see at the eighth pole it looked like he was almost in trouble but he rebroke strongly. Based on that, I felt like it maybe wasn't a bad idea to put him under consideration without any commitment. We got him back to Keeneland and he's back to training. He cleaned the feed tub and is moving well. I'll give myself another couple days before really committing to it.”

Brisset said Kuchar could also target the Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 25 at Thistledown.

“The timing would be better in the Ohio Derby,” Brisset said. “It's 50/50. If I had to lean anywhere, it would be to the Ohio Derby, but things can change.”

A homebred for WinStar Farm, Kuchar broke his maiden at third asking by a nose before facing winners for the first time in the Oaklawn on April 23. He set an even tempo under Geroux before relinquishing the lead to Home Brew to be defeated 1 3/4 lengths. He is the fourth foal out of the multiple Grade 1 placed Street Hero mare Street Girl.

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Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher conveyed a strong sense of satisfaction after Mo Donegal and Nest worked in company Friday in preparation for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 11.

Nest, a filly by Curlin with Jose Ortiz aboard, and Mo Donegal, who was piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr., went to the fast main track under cloudy skies and temperatures in the 60s. Nest worked to the inside of Mo Donegal as both horses completed their five-furlong moves in 1:02.99, followed by an extended three-eighths gallop out.

“The main thing I tried to emphasize to Jose and Irad was that I wanted a good, steady, long gallop-out breeze. I wasn't concerned about how quickly they went,” Pletcher said. “They got into a good rhythm. I had them out in 1:02 and 4, but what I particularly liked was the three-eighths after the finish line, they galloped out strongly. Both riders said that when I told them on the radio to let them go ahead and go out another eighth, both horses jumped up underneath them and showed they still had something left in the tank, so I was happy. I think both horses have good foundations. I just wanted a good, steady, stamina-building breeze and I thought we were able to accomplish that.”

Mo Donegal, owned by Donegal Racing and Repole Stable, was fifth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs, where he broke awkwardly from the rail in the 20-horse field and was forced wide in the final turn, still managing to make up ground in deep stretch. He entered the Derby from a neck win over eventual Grade 1 Preakness winner Early Voting in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“He hopped at the start. I didn't anticipate that we would be a part of the pace, but I also didn't want to be 19th going around the first turn either. He stood in the gate a long time and he's a well-behaved horse. He got a little quiet and just didn't jump and it compromised his position,” Pletcher said. “I thought he put in a good run. He had to angle out around horses and have Barber Road laying on him the whole way down the lane. He ran a race that was good enough to win if things would have maybe gone his way along the way, but he kept trying until the end. He was still closing ground that last sixteenth of a mile.”

By Uncle Mo, Mo Donegal is out of the Pulpit mare Callingmissbrown whose dam was Grade 1-winning millionaire Island Sand.

Nest was an open-lengths winner of the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland en route to a runner-up effort as the lukewarm favorite in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 6 at Churchill Downs. Nest made a six-wide move down the lane to finish second to Secret Oath.

“From the three-eighths pole to the quarter pole when Secret Oath was able to spread the race a little bit, Nest was bottled up and waiting for a place to go, had to angle out,” Pletcher said. “Same thing as Mo Donegal – we went all the way down the lane with another horse laying on top of us. I thought she kept closing resolutely and Secret Oath was better that day.”

Nest is out of multiple black-type producer Marion Ravenwood, whose sire A.P. Indy won the 1992 Belmont and produced 2007 Belmont winner Rags to Riches, who also was trained by Pletcher.

Pletcher said Ortiz, who was aboard Nest for the first time, was pleased with the breeze.

“Jose said the further they went, the better she got,” said Pletcher, who added there is a “good possibility” that Ortiz could ride if she runs in the Belmont. “When he asked her to keep galloping out, she jumped right underneath him. It was what we were expecting to see, but it was good to see all the same.”

Pletcher said her stamina-rich pedigree is one reason why the Belmont is under strong consideration for Nest. He had considered 2021 Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat, also by Curlin, for the Belmont last year, but subsequently altered course.

“Pedigree wise, it's a no brainer. You've got Belmont all over her pedigree, so I think she'll run that far. That's a huge part of the consideration,” Pletcher said. “She's given us every indication since the Oaks that she's doing well. She's had a very good appetite. Last year with Malathaat, we gave [the Belmont Stakes] some consideration, but we felt like she had lost a little weight and needed a little more time. This filly hasn't done anything to discourage me from thinking about it. I'll get together with the connections later, we've all been on the same page of letting her sell us on the idea of running.”

Malathaat, Shadwell Stable's reigning champion filly, also was on the Belmont work tab Friday, working in company with graded stakes winner Fearless through five-eighths in 1:00.60 over the training track. She is currently on track for the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps on June 11. The blue-blooded bay filly will attempt to join Abel Tasman [2018] and Pletcher alumna Ashado [2005] as Kentucky Oaks winners to win the Ogden Phipps the following year.

Repole Stable's Fearless, a 6-year-old Ghostzapper gelding, will look for his first graded stakes triumph outside of Gulfstream Park when pointing to the Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational on June 11.

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s multiple Grade 1-winner Life Is Good travelled a half-mile in 49.05 seconds Friday over the training track in his second recorded work since finishing fourth in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March. He resumed serious training at WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier this month.

Pletcher said Life Is Good is targeting the Grade 2, $250,000 John A. Nerud on July 2 at Belmont with the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 6 at Saratoga Race Course as a long term goal for the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief.

“He worked this morning in 48 and change, did it very easily,” Pletcher said. “I think he's maintained his conditioning level very well, so right now we have the Nerud on July 2, which gives us five weeks back to the Whitney. That's what we're thinking right now.”

Also on the work tab for Pletcher was Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable's multiple graded stakes winner Wit, who posted a five-eighths breeze in 1:01.05 in preparation for the Grade 1, $400,000 Woody Stephens on June 11.

KHK Racing's Shahama breezed a half-mile in 49.96 seconds over the training track in her first work since finishing sixth in the Kentucky Oaks. The Munnings bay is targeting the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose on June 25 at Belmont.

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