Two Kentucky Derby (G1) runners put in drills at Belmont Park on Saturday to
prepare for the 138th running of the Belmont S. (G1) on June 10.
STEPPENWOLFER (Aptitude), who exits a third at Churchill Downs, breezed six furlongs under Jose Santos in 1:13 over the fast dirt. The Dan Peitz-trained gray will be going for his first stakes win in the Belmont after
finishing in the top three in each of his previous stakes tries.
“Jose was all smiles this morning,” Peitz said.
Santos was offered the mount on Steppenwolfer for the Southwest S. but was
already committed to another ride at Aqueduct. Corey Lanerie was in the saddle
for the Southwest, guiding the sophomore to a close second.
“Giving him five weeks between starts was one of the reasons we skipped the
Preakness S. (G1),” said Peitz, explaining why Steppenwolfer was kept out of the
second leg of the Triple Crown. “I don’t know how the mile and a half (of the
Belmont) is going to work to our advantage. I know that most horses don’t want
to run a mile and a half. The whole field will probably be pretty tightly
bunched.”
Jockey Robby Albarado, who has been aboard Steppenwolfer for all but one of
his starts this year, will keep the mount in the Belmont.
Wood Memorial S. (G1) runner-up JAZIL (Seeking the Gold), fourth in
the Kentucky Derby most recently and also preparing for the Belmont, worked
five-eighths in :59 3/5 for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
“He worked very well,” McLaughlin said. “Absolutely perfect. We’re very
pleased and he’ll work back next week.
Jazil got the first half in :46 4/5, and, like Steppenwolfer and any other
Derby runner who bypassed the Preakness, will head into the Preakness off a
five-week hiatus.
“There will be no questions about five weeks anymore after Barbaro
(Dynaformer) won the (Derby),” McLaughlin said. “Every horse needs more than two
or three weeks between starts to run their best.”
Jockey Fernando Jara, who was making his first start in the Derby this year,
also gets his first Belmont mount with Jazil.
A total of 10 sophomores are now considered definite for the Belmont:
BLUEGRASS CAT (Storm Cat), BOB AND JOHN (Seeking the Gold), DEPUTY GLITTERS
(Deputy Commander), HEMINGWAY’S KEY (Notebook), Jazil, OH SO AWESOME (Awesome
Again), SACRED LIGHT (Holy Bull), SUNRIVER (Saint Ballado), PLATINUM
COUPLE (Tale of the Cat) and Steppenwolfer.
Possible contenders include HIGH FINANCE (Talk is Money), CAUSE TO BELIEVE
(Maria’s Mon), WILENTZ (Grand Slam) and SWEETNORTHERNSAINT (Sweetsouthernsaint).
Bluegrass Cat is set to work on Sunday while Sunriver is tentatively
scheduled to breeze June 4.