With trainer Alexis Barba looking on, Kentucky Derby (G1) fourth MAKE MUSIC
FOR ME (Bernstein) had his first breeze at Belmont Park Sunday morning, covering
a mile in 1:43 3/5 in preparation for the $1 million Belmont S. (G1) on June 5.
The other Belmont hopeful on the worktab was Dwyer S. (G2) runner-up
DROSSELMEYER (Distorted Humor), who went six furlongs in 1:14 for Hall of Fame
trainer Bill Mott.
While the times appeared slow, both Barba and Mott felt the fast main track
was somewhat deep, and said they were satisfied with the moves. Make Music for
Me’s breeze was the only one at a mile, while Drosselmeyer’s was the faster of
two at six furlongs, with workmate Raging Wit (Distorted Humor) covering the
distance in 1:15 1/5.
“I’m not used to the times here, but he’s fine,” said Barba, who is more
familiar with the synthetic surfaces in southern California, where she is based.
“The track is deep, and it’s what we needed to do. It’s a good time to get a
good workout in him.”
The move was the third for Make Music for Me since his last-to-fourth
performance in the Kentucky Derby, having breezed a half-mile in :48 3/5 on May
10 and five furlongs in 1:03 1/5 on May 16, both over the Polytrack at Keeneland.
Barba said the colt, owned by Peter and Ellen Johnson, would walk, jog and
gallop until he breezes again next Sunday.
Mott, who will be saddling his fifth Belmont S. starter and first since
Vision and Verse finished second in 1999, said that Drosselmeyer’s work was
“visually impressive.”
“By the stopwatch it was slow, but we thought it was a useful work,
considering the track was quite slow,” Mott said. “It was a good, steady work,
he went by his company when he was supposed to, and he galloped out well.”
The WinStar Farm colt, who has not been off the board in eight lifetime
starts, will work again next weekend for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont.
In other Belmont news:
Preakness S. (G1) runner-up FIRST DUDE (Stephen Got Even) jogged over the
main track Sunday morning under Tammy Fox, and will gallop 1 1/2 miles daily
until Saturday’s scheduled work, the exercise rider said.
“He seemed to handle it fine,” said Fox, who is overseeing First Dude’s
Belmont preparations until trainer Dale Romans’ arrival on Friday.
Owned by Donald R. Dizney, First Dude is 1-2-1 from five starts this year,
having broken his maiden at Gulfstream Park on January 30.
A field of 10 is shaping up for the final leg of racing’s Triple Crown,
including the Bob Baffert-trained GAME ON DUDE (Awesome Again), STATELY VICTOR (Ghostzapper),
STAY PUT (Broken Vow), UPTOWNCHARLYBROWN (Limehouse), SPANGLED STAR (Distorted
Humor) and the Nick Zito-trained duo of FLY DOWN (Mineshaft) and ICE BOX
(Pulpit).
On Saturday at Saratoga, Dwyer romper Fly Down went a half-mile in :49 2/5 on
the fast Oklahoma training track.