Charitable Man decision due Wednesday; Summer Bird arrives
at Belmont
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Tuesday morning that a final decision will be
“I will have a conversation with his owner (Mr. Warren) and then we will make
A son of 1999 Belmont S. winner Lemon Drop Kid, Charitable Man was forced to
Jockey Alan Garcia, who won last year’s Belmont aboard longshot Da’ Tara
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“If MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) and/or RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d’Oro) come
back, I like our chances, having a fresh horse,” McLaughlin commented. “I think
the right horses were one-two in the Preakness. It was fabulous to see the filly
win, and to have the Kentucky Derby winner validate his victory at Churchill
Downs. Overall, I think the industry was a big winner.”
If Charitable Man starts in the Belmont S., he will attempt to become the
first three-year-old since A.P. Indy in 1992 to complete the Peter Pan-Belmont
double. His sire, Lemon Drop Kid, finished third in the 1999 Peter Pan.
Kalarikkal and Vilasini Jayaraman’s SUMMER BIRD (Birdstone), who exits a
sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), arrived safely at Belmont from his Louisiana
base on Tuesday morning at approximately 5:30 a.m. (EDT). The Belmont contender
finished third two starts back in the Arkansas Derby (G2), beaten 1 1/4 lengths
by Papa Clem (Smart Strike).
“We kind of broke the trip up for him,” trainer Tim Ice said. “We left
Louisiana about 4 o’ clock on Sunday afternoon, and got to Louisville
(Kentucky). He got a good 10 hours of sleep and we left Louisville around 4
o’clock on Monday afternoon. I brought his gallop boy with him, but I’ll
probably look for someone local to breeze him.”
Ice said the son of 2004 Belmont S. winner Birdstone will likely work
Saturday or Sunday on the main track after the mid-morning break. Summer Bird
breezed five furlongs in 1:02.00 last Friday morning over a fast track at
Louisiana Downs.
In other Belmont developments:
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Tuesday that William Mack and Robert
Baker’s FLYING PRIVATE (Fusaichi Pegasus), fourth behind Rachel Alexandra in the
Preakness, and Marylou Whitney Stable’s LUV GOV (Ten Most Wanted), who was
eighth, were both likely to start in the final leg of the Triple Crown.
“I will be conferring with William Mack and Bob Baker and we will be making a
decision in a couple of days,” said Lukas, who has won the Belmont S. with
Tabasco Cat (1994), Thunder Gulch (1995), Editor’s Note (1996) and Commendable
(2000). “As well, I have yet to sit down with Marylou Whitney Stables. Both are
under strong consideration for the race.”
Flying Private and Luv Gov both returned to Churchill Downs following the
Preakness. Lukas has not had a Belmont starter since A.P. Arrow ran fifth in
2005 to Afleet Alex.
Nine horses are under serious consideration for the Belmont presently. The
other possible starters are Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird;
Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra; Derby fifth-placer CHOCOLATE CANDY
(Candy Ride [Arg]); Grade 1 runner-up DUNKIRK (Unbridled’s Song), who exits a
troubled 11th-place finish at Churchill Downs; Federico Tesio S. victor MINER’S
ESCAPE (Mineshaft); and Grade 1-placed MR. HOT STUFF (Tiznow), who finished 15th
in the Derby.