Preakness S. (G1) runner-up MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno) will have a new rider in
his expected rematch with unbeaten Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness winner
BIG BROWN (Boundary) in the $1 million Belmont S. (G1) on June 7 at Belmont Park.
Garrett Gomez, the Eclipse Award winner as America’s top jockey in 2007, has
been named to replace Julien Leparoux aboard the three-year-old in the 1
1/2-mile final jewel of the Triple Crown.
Trainer Dallas Stewart said the decision by West Point Thoroughbreds to give
the mount to Gomez should not reflect negatively on Leparoux, who had ridden
Macho Again in four of his last five races and had won two of those.
“Julien has done a great job with him,” Stewart said. “But after talking with
(West Point Thoroughbreds’ managing partner) Terry Finley and the owners, it was
a
decision based more on a ‘home court advantage’ for the rider. Gomez is a New
York rider and he knows that mile-and-a-half track. That’s not taking anything
away from Julien or anything, but Gomez rides there every day and he’s going to
ride a bunch on the card.
“We’re going up there trying to win it, not that we think we couldn’t win it
with Julien,” Stewart added. “Terry just felt that it would give us a little bit
of an edge to have someone that rides there every day.”
Gomez leads the nation’s riders with more than $7.4 million in earnings on
the year.
Macho Again will enter the Belmont with a career record of 9-3-3-0 and
earnings of $343,761. He captured the April 26 Derby Trial S. at Churchill Downs
prior to finishing second in the Preakness.
In other Belmont news:
Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. will meet with the media on Sunday at 11 a.m.
(EDT) in Barn 2 to discuss Big Brown’s bid to become the 12th Triple Crown
winner in the Belmont.
Also scheduled to meet with the press is Nobutaka Tada, managing director for
Globe Equine Management Ltd. and spokesperson for the connections of Belmont
hopeful CASINO DRIVE (Mineshaft), who captured the Peter Pan S. (G2) recently.
Tada’s meeting will take place in the Belmont Café
at approximately 8:15 a.m.
Tada announced Saturday that Casino Drive will have a strong gallop around 7
a.m. Sunday, weather permitting, with his serious workout coming on Wednesday. A
decision on the chestnut’s rider in the Belmont has been pushed back until
Wednesday as well.