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It was just a couple years prior that he had received one heck of a proposal though and it wasn't something he could pass up. So going all-in, as they say, was the plan. Not to put too fine a point on it, when opportunity knocks or in this case, arrives via Instagram, then you must be ready to parlay.

“It was at the 2022 Dubai World Cup and we had poured everything into the business and we needed a win,” Chamberlin said. “There's a time to be disciplined and just go for base hits, but there's also a moment to be bold.”

The series of conversations that spawned from that Instagram message sent by his fellow Western Michigan alum Brian Doxtator concerned the seed of a new company–Commonwealth, also known as CMNWLTH–which the pair agreed early on was going to be about one thing, and one thing only, the members. Yes, the thrill of victory was involved and all that, but it would be about putting together a series of experiences around microsharing and sports. The engine behind it all and the driving force was a sense of belonging.

“Our model is about the journey,” Chamberlin explained. “This is about sharing a belief because we realize that sports like horse racing are based on faith and if you don't build that through trust, then it is difficult to attract new customers.”

As co-founders, Chamberlin who serves as the company's head of racing and Doxtator, who as CEO comes from a diverse tech background, envisaged a world of microsharing where investors could own an affordable piece of a Thoroughbred. They made some well-documented wise calls, like in that aforementioned Dickensian moment in 2022 when Country Grammar (Tonalist) claimed victory in the G1 Dubai World Cup. Other hinge points have followed with We The People (Constitution) going off as the favorite in the GI Belmont S., and of course, when the 382 members that bought shares in Mage (Good Magic) watched that chestnut colt roll late to pick up the GI Kentucky Derby.

Mage during workout at Pimlico | Jim McCue

“We didn't plan to win the [Kentucky] Derby this soon, but we knew that our program and our partnerships would put us in a position to compete at the highest levels because we have a great team and they know how to pick great horses.”

For Chamberlin, taking a chance on joining Doxtator in starting Commonwealth was full of risk, but he was confident that it was the right move. His competitive nature in business that was honed at college comes directly from the equestrian world. When he was four years old growing up near Kalamazoo, Michigan, his mother who worked in a hair salon and his father in a paper mill, stoked his budding love of horses by enrolling him in riding programs. It took him down a path from hunters and jumpers to becoming a multi-national champion in which he showed horses from half-Arabians to Quarter Horses around the world.

“They didn't have any connection to anything equine-related, but they made sacrifices and that stoked my passion,” he said. “Over time, I encountered all of these different breeds, people connected to them with their wonderful stories and it just created this obsession.”

Then, he started to think about Thoroughbreds.

“I remember always hearing that showing was a hobby that wanted be a business, while racing was a business that always wanted to be a hobby,” Chamberlin said. “I could maybe be away from horses for six months and then I would find a way to get right back to them.”

Melding that love for all things equine with the mission of Commonwealth was linked by Chamberlin's last position as head of growth at Epipheo, a Cincinnati-based company that has assisted the likes of Walmart, Google, SAP and even the U.S. Air Force with brand awareness campaigns through what is called a video-first strategy. In other words, they explain stuff, succinctly and in a way that is palatable.

“Strategies through these explainer videos were built on education and we know through research that if you confuse people, you'll lose them,” he said. “So, you want members to soak up these complicated ideas because if they don't care, then the moment's gone. It's the old curse of knowledge. What we are doing with horse racing and Commonwealth is similar.”

Chase Chamberlin and Brian Doxtator at Pimlico during Preakness Week | Sara Gordon

Working with bloodstock agents like Marette Farrell, and WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden and David Hanley has brought Chamberlin to the immersive waters of the sales ring and he has learned the language of Thoroughbreds. From breeding to racing, it continues to be an ongoing curve for him. There is a fair amount of torque that he has experienced, but the “vernacular” as he calls it, isn't that far off from the one he once knew.

“David [Hanley] was an Olympic-level show jumper, so when we talk horse flesh we have a certain understanding between us and that has only helped my education, which is all about being a sponge,” Chamberlin said. “This complex and dizzying world has brought us into contact with some amazing partners who are about integrity first and then talent, not the other way around.”

No matter what happens this weekend at the GI Preakness S., Commonwealth has wind in its sails. But Chamberlin is quick to remind anyone that will listen that this isn't just about victories. You can't have win after win in a business like this, no matter how blessed or brilliant you might be.

“Our focus here is to spread the word and not be drained by these moments of euphoria because we know they don't last in the way that our minds think they should,” he said. “So, what you do as a company is be grateful for them, relish it, file it away, but you can temper the downswing you will inevitably feel, if you enjoy that journey along the way.”

Finding the next Mage will not be easy, but remember Chamberlin's origin story as an equestrian, his sponge-like approach to knowledge and his ability to explain complexities are all built assets. As horse racing continues to try and solve their own Rubik's Cube when it comes to bringing new, younger faces into its fold, in just four years has Chase Chamberlin and Team Commonwealth found an answer?

With the sports betting revolution drawing in more diverse customers, in a similar way, Commonwealth is poised to expand their digital platform space into golf. The future looks bright for this unique business model. Affordable investing through a set of experiences which crossover to other sports? That sounds like quite a parlay coupled with a strong sense of belonging. Now, that might be an explainer video worth watching.

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Out of a daughter of GISW Harmony Lodge (Hennessy), We the People is her most accomplished offspring thus far. He has a 3-year-old half-brother Absolutely Certain (Always Dreaming) as well as two other younger half-brothers–a 2-year-old by Audible and a yearling by More Than Ready. Letchworth is a half to MGSP Armistice day (Declaration of War) and GSW Stratford Hill (A.P. Indy). This is the female family of GISP Graeme Hall (Dehere) and GISW Pinehurst (Twirling Candy). Sales history: $110,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $220,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $230,0002yo '21 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 8-4-1-0, $524,843. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-WinStar Farm LLC, Bobby Flay, CMNWLTH and Siena Farm LLC; B-Henley Farms Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

(3) We The People shows he's the real deal in race 5 with @iradortiz aboard. (5) Britain's Kitten takes second, (1) Dash Attack finishes third. pic.twitter.com/BJVcB0rxZT

— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) April 28, 2023

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The 29-year-old Frenchman will be aboard 2-1 morning-line favorite 'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) in the final leg of the Triple Crown. He will also pilot unbeaten sensation and fellow 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) in the prestigious GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. Both will exit from post one.

WinStar Farm, Bobby Flay, CMNWLTH and Siena Farm's We the People will take on seven rivals–including GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Rich Strike (Keen Ice), Derby fifth-place finisher Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and the filly Nest (Curlin)–in the 1 1/2-mile Classic. He's clearly the one to catch off his 10 1/4-length, front-running romp for trainer Rodolphe Brisset in the Belmont slop in the GIII Peter Pan S.

With Saturday's forecast calling for cloudy skies and temperatures nearing 80 degrees, he'll have a fast main track to work with this time.

“I think the talent is there,” Prat said. “His Peter Pan was a really good race. It's just a question mark with the distance, but it seems like we are all in the same boat.”

The unbeaten Flightline, pound-for-pound the most exciting horse in training, has won his first three starts in Southern California for trainer John Sadler by a combined margin of a whopping 37 1/2 lengths, led by his last out jaw-dropping score with a gaudy 118 Beyer Speed Figure in the GI Runhappy Malibu S. Dec. 26. He will face off against the ultra-talented GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) as well as last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West (Hard Spun) in the highly coveted stallion-making race. The $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling and 3-5 morning-line choice is campaigned in partnership by Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, breeder Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing.

“He feels like a special horse,” Prat said. “He's been responding really well to everything we ask him to do. He could be any type of horse.”

Some of Prat's other high-profile mounts on the absolutely loaded 13-race card include:

• Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) (GI Acorn S.) (Brad Cox) (6-5)
• Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (GI Longines Just a Game S.) (Chad Brown) (even-money)

• Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) (GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S.) (Chad Brown) (4-1)

• Bonny South (Munnings) (GI Ogden Phipps S.) (Brad Cox) (8-1)

• Pappacap (Gun Runner) (GI Woody Stephens S.) (Mark Casse) (10-1)

• Warrant (Constitution) (GII Brooklyn S.) (Brad Cox) (3-1)

Prat's rapidly growing resume already includes wins in the first two legs of the Triple Crown and a trio of Breeders' Cup victories. In the irons aboard promoted 2019 GI Kentucky Derby upsetter Country House (Lookin At Lucky) as well as last year's GI Preakness S. hero Rombauer (Twirling Candy), he looks to go one better in the Belmont following a huge second-place finish aboard Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) in 2021. Prat won last year's GI Manhattan S. on the Belmont undercard aboard Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}).

“Whether it's the Belmont, Preakness, Derby or Breeders' Cup weekends, this is the goal when you're a jockey,” Prat said. “You want to ride the best horses and face the best riders. That's the main goal. When you have the chance to ride and participate in these types of weekends, I'm obviously really grateful.”

After dominating the scene in Southern California for the past few years, Prat, somewhat surprisingly, shifted his tack to Belmont–home of the deepest jockey colony in the country–earlier this spring. His goal for the remainder of the year is simple: win an Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding jockey.

“I was doing really well out there, but if I ever wanted to try New York, I felt like it was the right time to do it,” Prat said of relocating to Long Island along with his wife and two young children. “Try to keep improving my riding style and see what we can do out here.”

It's no coincidence that recent Eclipse Award winners Joel Rosario (2021), Irad Ortiz, Jr. (2018-20), Jose Ortiz (2017) and Javier Castellano (2013-16) all called the Big Apple home. Prat, represented by agent Brad Pegram, was an Eclipse finalist last year while boasting a career high in victories (246) and earnings ($23,214,813). Prat's first full season riding in North America was 2015.

“That's the whole point, to ride with the best riders in the country and also to try to keep improving,” Prat said.

He concluded, “I'm really happy here.”

Stars Come Out on Belmont Stakes Day…

Quality over quantity.

In addition to an intriguing renewal of the GI Belmont S. and a showdown for the ages in the five-deep GI Hill 'n' Dale Met Mile,

there will be six other Grade I events, albeit with some short fields, held on Saturday's star-studded program.

Champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) will cut back in distance to a one-turn mile in the GI Acorn S. after suffering the first defeat of her brilliant career while tiring to fourth in the GI Kentucky Oaks. She will meet just four rivals in the Acorn, led by the streaking Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile), a good-looking winner of the GII Eight Belles S. on the Oaks undercard.

The undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings), a dominating return winner in the GII Pat Day Mile S., puts his unblemished three-for-three record on the line against five fellow sophomores in the GI Woody Stephens S. The 1-2 morning-line favorite won last year's GI Champagne S. at Belmont in the fall before scratching from the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile with a stress fracture in his left shin. The seven-furlong contest is named in honor of the legendary late trainer Woody Stephens, who won five consecutive renewals of the Belmont Stakes from 1982-86.

Champions Letruska (Super Saver) and 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) will clash in a highly anticipated GI Ogden Phipps S. The former has five top-level wins to her credit, including a wire-to-wire tally in this race last year, and is perfect in two attempts since a forgettable performance in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Last term's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Malathaat, a good third in the Distaff, kicked off her 4-year-old campaign with a well-timed win in Keeneland's GIII Baird Doubledogdare S.

The best wagering opportunities of the day will likely come in two of the grass stakes.

Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) returns for the 13-deep GI Jaipur S. after pulling off a 10-1 upset last year. Arrest Me Red (Pioneerof the Nile), a last out winner of the GII Twin Spires Turf Sprint S., is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

A field of 10, led by GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic S. winner Santin (Distorted Humor), MGISW Gufo (Declaration of War) and GI Man o' War S. upsetter Highland Chief (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), will line up for the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. Trainer Chad Brown has won the Manhattan a record seven times, and will send out a trio–Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}), L'Imperator (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Rockemperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire})–seeking a fourth straight.

Speaking of Brown, he will also saddle the three top choices–Speak of the Devil (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a visually impressive heroine of the GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. in her U.S. debut, MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) and 'TDN Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})–in the five-horse GI Longines Just a Game S. He won this race four straight years between 2017-20.

First post for the 13-race program, featuring a trio of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' events (Met Mile, Ogden Phipps and Jaipur), is 11:20 a.m. ET. Post time for the Belmont Stakes is 6:44 p.m.

National television coverage of Belmont Stakes Day will begin on FS2, where America's Day at the Races will air from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Coverage shifts to CNBC from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and NBC from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Click here for our Belmont Stakes day video preview from TDN Writers' Room.

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1) Mo Donegal (c, Uncle Mo–Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit)
O-Donegal Racing & Repole Stable. B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales History: $250,000 yrl '20 KEESEP.
You could argue that Mo Donegal lost the GI Kentucky Derby at the post draw after getting stuck with the dreaded rail gate. But his fifth-place effort, beaten 5 3/4 lengths in a stretch finish that featured the 1-2-3 horses all running full-tilt to the wire, is actually quite a bit better than it appears on paper. This $250,000 KEESEP son of Uncle Mo was too patiently handled by Irad Ortiz, Jr., who didn't ask this athletic colt for his best run until 2 1/2 furlongs out, and Mo then had to float 12 wide off the turn to find clear passage. But he still uncorked with his characteristic acceleration inside the eighth pole, and that type of late-race torque has been evident throughout Mo's career. This colt simply keeps gaining ground in deep stretch, even when the final furlongs are quick, and his company lines are far more robust than any of his Belmont S. foes. Don't be tempted to stamp him as strictly an off-the-tailgate type, because Mo is agile and nimble enough to take up the running from a sweet stalking spot in an eight-horse field where he's not as likely to meet up with the trip trouble that he often encounters.

2) We the People (c, Constitution–Letchworth, by Tiznow)
O-Winstar Farm, LLC, Bobby Flay, CMNWLTH, & Siena Farm, LLC.
B-Henley Farms Inc (KY). T-R Brisset. Sales History: $110k wnlg '19 KEENOV, $220k yrl '20 KEESEP, $230k 2yo FTFMAR.
We the People possesses both a very high cruising gear and a reputation for being difficult to handle. His brief past performance block features a pair of open-length wins at Oaklawn and a blowout, 10 1/4-length, tour-de-force romp in the GII Peter Pan S. four weeks ago (103 Beyer Speed Figure). But sandwiched in between was a hot-and-bothered effort in the weak GI Arkansas Derby in which this Constitution colt couldn't make the lead, then got hooked wide around both turns, beating only two horses. Which We the People will show up as the morning-line fave for the third leg of the Triple Crown? Sure, he's won with authority over Belmont's main track. But that was a sealed, post-rain surface rated “good,” and the field contained only one horse who had ever won a stakes (a minor one at that). Still, the raw power of that victory will be enough to sway pari-mutuel supporters to this colt's side. We the People was always in control in the Peter Pan, and it's hard to shake the visual of him turning for home under a hand ride from Flavien Prat while everyone else in his widening wake was desperately whipping and driving. He also had a nice spurt of extra acceleration in upper stretch-the kind of move where Prat was probably just gauging what was under the hood for future reference.

3) Rich Strike (c, Keen Ice–Gold Strike, by Smart Strike)
O-RED TR-Racing, LLC. B-Calumet Farm (KY). T-Eric Reed.
When a horse wins a race at 80-1 odds, you can usually point to evidence that the favorites didn't fire, the pace blew up, or a number of logical contenders ran into trip trouble. None of those things happened in the Derby. Sonny Leon sliced and diced his way to a clear inside path through the far turn, and Rich Strike did the rest, taking aim with purpose and reeling in two favorites who weren't quitting. Is the effort replicable? This connections of this former $30,000 maiden-claiming son of Keen Ice defied convention and skipped the GI Preakness S. with the aim of having a tighter fighter at 12 furlongs, a distance trainer Eric Reed believes is within this colt's scope. His 101 Beyer in Louisville represents a 17-point jump off his best career effort, and Rich Strike is going to have to come up with a similar or better fig if he is to be draped in a blanket of white carnations.

Rich Strike poses for every photo before Saturday's Belmont Stakes. | Sarah Andrew

But you have to wonder if he's going to be tactically forced out of his sweet spot, because dropping far behind the field against this crew is likely going to leave him too much work to do.

Then again, this is a colt who wasn't too far off the action going a one-turn a mile at Churchill at age two (a 17 1/4-length upset), so maybe he's a touch more versatile than critics give him credit for. A bigger concern might be Leon's inexperience riding over Belmont's vast, sweeping main-track configuration, which has been known to stymie riders unfamiliar with its 1 1/2-miles circumference. Leon is named to ride in only one race (on the grass) at Belmont on Friday, then will have what will seem like an interminably long wait on Saturday (7 1/2 hours) between his only main-track mounts in the opener and in the Belmont S. itself.

4) Barber Road (c, Race Day–Encounter, by Southern Image)
O-WSS Racing, LLC. B-Susan Forrester & Judy Curry (KY).
T-John Ortiz. Sales History: $15,000 wnlg '19 KEENOV.
Despite having to rally from last and getting parked in the 14 path turning for home, this Race Day gray ($15,000 KEENOV) put in a fairly decent sustained run over the final three furlongs of the Derby. Barber Road gets a jockey change to Joel Rosario for the Belmont, and will race without blinkers for the first time since his career debut at Colonial Downs last August. He's winless since Nov. 10, but has amassed a bankroll north of $650,000 by chipping away with minor awards in graded stakes. Longer distances certainly appear within the scope of his pedigree. His paternal grandsire is Tapit, the sire of four Belmont S. winners, and damsire Southern Image won two Grade I routes at Triple Crown distances in 2004 (the Santa Anita H. and the Pimlico Special). But the big question for Barber Road isn't staying power-it's whether he's fast enough. His best Beyer tops out at 94, seven points below the par for this race.

5) Nest (f, Curlin–Marion Ravenwood, by A.P. Indy). O-Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, & Michael House.
B-Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales History: $350,000 yrl '20 KEESEP.
Nest's family tree is replete with distance-centric influences. Her sire, Curlin, lost the 2007 Belmont by a head, barely coming up short behind the gallant filly Rags to Riches (who was trained by Nest's trainer, Todd Pletcher). Nest's damsire, A.P. Indy, won the '92 Belmont. This filly is also a full sister to Idol, last year's winner of the Santa Anita H. She was most recently a grinding second in the GI Kentucky Oaks, incrementally gaining on the winner, and before that, she popped for an 8 1/4-length victory in the GI Ashland S. in April. That score was notable for a prolonged, 4 1/2-furlong bid over Keeneland's short-stretch configuration in which Nest drove past the front four leaders with authority midway on the far turn. Jose Ortiz picks up the mount for the first time, as his brother, Irad, sticks with Nest's uncoupled stablemate, Mo Donegal.

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Making his way through the picturesque Belmont backstretch about 10 minutes later with a good-sized entourage in tow, Rich Strike entered the paddock via the tunnel as owner Richard Dawson and trainer Eric Reed, both sporting plenty of black-and-red Rich Strike swag, chatted by the famed Secretariat statue.

With torrential pre-dawn thunderstorms leaving the main track a sloppy-and-sealed mess, it was a second straight day of light training for the 7-2 third choice on the morning-line for Saturday's 154th GI Belmont Stakes.

“All we were doing today was getting a little maintenance work in him and he had to go school in the gate anyway,” Reed said outside of a sun-splashed Barn 29 after the chestnut was done getting cleaned up.

“With the off track, I didn't want to turn him around in case he decided to get real tough. So, we just went the mile-and-a-half in the wrong direction, stood in the gate and brought him home. Tomorrow, he'll have a little bit of a gallop.”

Rich Strike has breezed twice since shocking the world at 80-1 off the also-eligible list in Louisville, most recently working five furlongs in a bullet :59 at Churchill Downs May 30. The $30,000 claim-to-fame put on a show with an absolute powerhouse gallop at Belmont Park on Tuesday.

“That's what we call the 'happy gallop.' He'll do that once a week,” Reed said. “Two days prior coming off the track with normal gallops, he was rearing up. He was telling me, 'You haven't trained me hard enough.' We don't try to go that fast, we just let him have his way. Usually, he'll set his own pace, then he comes back to us after a little bit.”

After receiving plenty of criticism for taking the road seldomly traveled and skipping the GI Preakness S. with the Derby winner, Reed continues to have no regrets about heading to the final leg of the Triple Crown with a fresh horse.

“It wouldn't have worked with him,” Reed said. “It takes him three weeks to calm down. In a two-week turnaround, he would've been crazy in the paddock. He wouldn't have been behaving on the track. His mind would be way too aggressive and it would've jeopardized this race.”

He continued, “Not that we thought this was a race we couldn't lose. It just made a lot more sense because it was the proper time between races and we know he'll get the distance. Our problem is, he has a terrible running style for this race. Either he has to change it on his own or we have to get really lucky because you just don't come from last and win this race. Since the Derby though, he's a much different animal about how he does things.”

As far as life after the Triple Crown series for Rich Strike, following a break for a month or two, Reed has identified the GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga Aug. 27 as his next potential target.

“Our intentions, if things go well, is to run him next year,” Reed said. “We don't want to stop at the end of this year. We're not gonna dance every dance and run every race, we're gonna pick the right ones and give it our best shot.”

It's almost been five weeks now. Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Eric Reed. How does that sound to you?

“I can't get used to that,” Reed concluded with a big smile.

“I've been real busy and I love what's going on for my guys. I haven't had time to step back yet. I'll get that chance after the Belmont. Then, I think it will all soak in.”

'We' Love the Rain…

Likely GI Belmont S. favorite and controlling speed We the People (Constitution) certainly didn't mind the wet going Thursday morning.

The runaway, front-running winner of a saturated renewal of the local GIII Peter Pan S. stood like a gentleman beneath trainer Rodolphe Brisset after entering the track through the paddock at 7:52 a.m. The 'TDN Rising Star' began to jog the wrong way with the pony about five minutes later, and, after schooling in the starting gate, came rolling down the center of the stretch outside of the dogs for another very good-looking, one-mile gallop.

While leading sire Tapit can't add to his already record four Belmont Stakes tallies this year, his presence will certainly still be felt Saturday. The Gainesway kingpin is the grandsire of both We the People and Kentucky Derby sixth-place finisher Barber Road (Race Day), and he is also the broodmare sire of the lightly raced Preakness third-place finisher Creative Minister (Creative Cause), respectively.

For more pedigree tidbits on the field of eight, stay tuned for Saturday's 'Where Did They Come From?' feature.

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Sporting plenty of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.'s flashy yellow-and-blue stable colors, the GI Preakness S. fifth-place finisher continued to catch the eye upon return while jogging along the outer rail with his neck arched. He stood briefly by the gap and soaked up plenty of attention from a handful of photographers as he headed off.

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) certainly made his presence felt while stepping onto the track at 7:13 a.m. The blaze-faced, 3-year-old chestnut puts his perfect three-for-three record on the line for Chad Brown in Saturday's GI Woody Stephens S.

Unbeaten Jack Christopher out for a spin pic.twitter.com/Qy7tznRkRw

— Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) June 8, 2022

Fellow 'Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) made his way through the tunnel about 40 minutes later. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset was all smiles in the irons aboard the GI Belmont S. morning-line favorite as he jogged alongside the pony. The runaway GIII Peter Pan S. winner–equipped with a pair of cotton balls in his ears–had his mind on the task at hand while understandably getting a little hot, cruising down the lane under a very snug hold.

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West (Hard Spun), meanwhile, got plenty of love from his groom while exiting the track by the gap. He meets the powerhouse duo of unbeaten 'Rising Star' Flightline (Tapit) and the streaking Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) in a GI Hill 'n' Dale Met Mile for the ages. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, responsible for 2017 Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit), will also be well-represented in the main event with the filly Nest (Curlin).

With trainer @BrissetRodolphe in the irons, Belmont S. ML favorite We the People galloping earlier this morning @WinStarFarm pic.twitter.com/uspim9UkUO

— Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) June 8, 2022

The aforementioned Flightline, last seen romping in Santa Anita's GI Runhappy Malibu S. Dec. 26, was one of the first to train after arriving from John Sadler's Southern California base Tuesday afternoon.

With GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) opting for some lighter exercise on the training track following a very powerful and visually impressive gallop on Tuesday, champion Letruska (Super Saver) enjoyed the spotlight on the main track after the break ahead of her title defense in Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S. Things did not go exactly as planned, however, for the five-time Grade I winner after a little schooling session in the paddock.

With what appeared to be a chord from her exercise rider's walkie talkie swinging between her legs, Letruska was seemingly undeterred and galloped lightly down the sun-splashed stretch. She was pulled up just past the wire while being met by the outrider as training hours began to wind down.

Letruska going very easy. Piece of equipment got loose down stretch. pic.twitter.com/2hvDpTMTD1

— Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) June 8, 2022

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The monumental come-from-behind 80-1 Derby upsetter heads to the final leg of the Triple Crown fresh after skipping the GI Preakness S. He has been installed as the third choice on the morning line at odds of 7-2.

“He's doing really good since he's been here, he's training better every day,” trainer Eric Reed, seated alongside owner Richard Dawson, said at Tuesday's well-attended draw from Belmont's Triple Crown Lounge. “I don't think the pace will be nearly as fast. He's still going to drop back, that's just his style of running. Turning for home, if he's close enough, he'll have a real good shot at it.”

The pace of the race is expected to come from the rail-drawn 'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution), a runaway front-running winner in a sloppy renewal of the local prep GIII Peter Pan S. He was given the 2-1 nod on the morning line.

Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), a rallying fifth in the Derby, was installed as the 5-2 second choice. He will break from post six. Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Nest (Curlin) takes on the boys following a runner-up effort in the GI Kentucky Oaks.

This story will be updated.

From the rail out, the complete field for the GI Belmont S.:

1-We the People (Constitution) (2-1)

2-Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) (20-1)

3-Nest (Curlin) (8-1)

4-Rich Strike (Keen Ice) (7-2)

5-Creative Minister (Creative Cause) (6-1)

6-Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) (5-2)

7-Golden Glider (Ghostzapper) (20-1)

8-Barber Road (Race Day) (10-1)

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“I'm thrilled to join the We the People team,” said Flay. “I have been an admirer of this colt since he started his career at the beginning of this year. I want to thank Lisa and Kenny Troutt of WinStar for giving me this exciting opportunity. Winning the 2016 Belmont with Creator will be a moment that me and my family will never forget.”

WinStar President, CEO, and Racing Manager Elliott Walden, added, “We appreciate Bobby wanting to partner with us again. He is great for the business, and a great partner.”

A 5 3/4-length debut winner going a mile at Oaklawn Feb. 12, We the People earned 'Rising Star' honors with a five-length allowance tally in Hot Springs one month later. He failed to fire when a low-odds seventh in the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 2, but turned it around in a big way in the Peter Pan May 14, leading every step of the nine-furlong trip to score by 10 1/4 lengths.

A $110,000 Keeneland November weanling, We the People was a $220,000 Keeneland September purchase and was knocked down to WinStar for $230,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale.

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“I thought it was good. I liked the way they finished and galloped out,” Pletcher said. “Those horses seem to be in good form. This was more of a maintenance work. They had a strong work last week with a big, long gallop out. This week we wanted just a maintenance type of work, which they were able to execute properly.”

Mo Donegal exits a fast-finishing fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby May 7, while GI Central Bank Ashland S. heroine Nest will look to become Pletcher's second filly to win this race, following in the hoofsteps of 2010 heroine Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy).

Also appearing on the Belmont tab was WinStar Farm, CMNWLTH and Siena Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' We the People (Constitution), who covered a solo half-mile on the main track in :47.59 (9/66, out in 1:00.40). Two-for-two at Oaklawn to kick off his career, the $230,000 FTFMAR acquisition bounced back from a seventh-place run in the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 2 to air by 10 1/4 lengths in the local GIII Peter Pan S. May 14.

“It was a little fast,” said trainer Rodolphe Brisset. “The track with the moisture in it will carry you. He couldn't have done it any easier. He was just galloping. He repeated what we've been seeing the whole time here. It looked like he really enjoyed it to me. We've got to have a good week now.”

Belmont longshot Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), fifth in the GI Preakness S. May 21, breezed a five-eighths over Big Sandy in 1:02.41 (13/17).

“We're coming back in three weeks, so we weren't looking for much. We wanted a steady, long and easy breeze and that's what we got,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said.

GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) put in a strong two-mile gallop Saturday.

“He was great,” said conditioner Eric Reed. “The rider said he was moving good and liked it. When he came down the stretch, I was loving the way he was moving today. He can get into his stride and not get distracted here. We went two miles today and tomorrow we'll probably back it up a little bit.”

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