Freedom Child inspires Bernardini-like feelings; McPeek learns from Schulhofer

Freedom Child inspires Bernardini-like feelings; McPeek

learns from Schulhofer

In 2006, trainer Tom Albertrani entered a Triple Crown race with a fresh,

talented horse and came away with an upset victory.

Seven years after Bernardini's triumph in the Preakness, Albertrani is taking

aim at the Belmont Stakes with Freedom Child, who has been gaining plenty of

attention leading up to the race.

"Everyone's been talking about this horse quite a bit all week," Albertrani said

Thursday, after Freedom Child galloped 1 1/4 miles on the main track. "Hopefully,

it gives you a little more confidence. I like what I'm seeing. I'm getting all

the good signs. He couldn't be doing any better."

Albertrani had similar feelings going into the Preakness with Bernardini, whose

victory was overshadowed by the breakdown of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.

Bernardini would go on to prove himself with wins in the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup and be named

champion three-year-old male.

"I just felt with the way Bernardini was training going into the Preakness, I

had about the same level of confidence as I do going into this race with this

horse," Albertrani said.

"Not knowing what the outcome's going to be, I'm just

saying my level of confidence in both cases would be about the same. As it

turned out, Bernardini did win, but when you know your horse is training well

and they're doing good, you've got that confidence that they should perform

well."

Terry Finley, the founder and president of Freedom Child's co-owner West Point

Thoroughbreds, is also feeling good about the colt's chances.

"This is the first time we've ever had a buzz horse like this in a real big

race," Finley said. "I'm very confident. I've kind of learned over the years,

why not be confident, even if you're 15 or 20-1? People get to fretting, but

it's just great what's happening. What if we're not disappointed? It'd be a

pretty cool day."

Trainer Ken McPeek has run four horses in the Belmont Stakes: Pineaff (ninth in

1999), 70-1 winner Sarava in 2002 and Atigun (third) and Unstoppable U (sixth)

last year. This year, McPeek will saddle Frac Daddy, who finished 16th in the

Kentucky Derby, but was second at nearly 24-1 in the Arkansas Derby.

McPeek said Wednesday that he has developed a routine for this race he calls the

"Belmont Gallop" for preparing runners for the Belmont Stakes.

"We back up to the quarter-pole, we jog to the wire -- of course, that's where

they start the Belmont," McPeek explained. "We gallop a full turn and pick it up

the last three-eighths. I think horses thrive on repetition. We've done that,

and it's been successful, so we're keeping it.

"This isn't rocket science. You try to get them in the habit of knowing where to

get started. This colt has a lot to learn, but I think he's got talent."

McPeek had high hopes for his first Belmont Stakes runner, Pineaff, but was

badly beaten by Lemon Drop Kid, trained by the late Scotty Schulhofer, who came

up under the tutelage of the legendary Hall of Famer, John Nerud.

"I took notes from Scotty Schulhofer," McPeek said. "I ran a horse I thought had

a legitimate chance, (but) who didn't handle any of it. I think I learned a real

big lesson that day. I think I overtrained that horse. I think they've got to

handle this racetrack.

"They have to have had some experience here, whether physical or mental. You

look back at all the Triple Crown winners; they trained here a portion of their

careers.

"Schulhofer, I remember a quote by him. He said, 'They can either do the

distance or they can't.' But he always half-miled his horses into the race. He

never worked them a mile or a mile and an eighth, or even three-quarters. He

just half-miled them. I took notes from that. When we went with Sarava, we half-miled

him into the race. It was similar."

Jerome and Gotham winner Vyjack returned to the track Thursday morning for

the first time following his final pre-Belmont Stakes breeze in :59 on

Tuesday.

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez had Vyjack out shortly after the main track opened at

5:30 a.m. (EDT), as has been his custom this week.

"The horse jogged very good this morning," Rodriguez said. "He was happy; he was

bouncing around. It looks like he bounced good out of the work."

Vyjack will break from post 11 under new rider Julien Leparoux in the Belmont,

his first race since finishing 18th of 19 in the Kentucky Derby on May 4.

"So far, so good," Rodriguez said. "He's been eating very good, he's very

strong, and he's healthy. He's walking like he's very proud of himself."

Also on Thursday, Rodriguez breezed Sage Valley three furlongs in

:37 2/5 on the main track ahead of Saturday's Grade 2,

$400,000 True North Handicap.

Giant Finish, at 30-1 one of the long shots in the Belmont field, had an easy

day on the track two days after his final Belmont breeze, but continued to

please Chip Dutrow, who is assisting trainer Tony Dutrow in preparing the Frost

Giant colt for Saturday's race.

"He looks good out there," Chip Dutrow said. "He's getting over the track well,

and everything is fine."

Bred in New York by Andrew Cohen, Giant Finish began his career facing state-breds

at Aqueduct, then finished second in the John Battaglia Memorial and third in

the Spiral, both over the Polytrack at Turfway Park.

Sent off at 38-1, he beat almost half the field in the Kentucky Derby when

10th over a sloppy, sealed track.

"I think he's the kind of horse who can run on anything," Dutrow said.

In other Belmont news:

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will present a $1 million

guaranteed Pick 6 and a $1 million all graded stakes Pick 4 on Saturday, Belmont

Stakes Day. By guaranteeing the wager for $1 million, NYRA will supplement the

difference if either pool is less than the advertised amount.

The Pick 6 is scheduled to get underway at 2:34 p.m. with the 6TH race, the

$150,000 Easy Goer Stakes. The True North Handicap will serve as the second leg

of the Pick 6.

The Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game, the 8TH race on the 13-race card, will

kick off the all graded stakes Pick 4 at 3:58 p.m. The Pick 6 and Pick 4

continue with the Grade 2, $400,000 Woody Stephens and Grade 1, $500,000

Manhattan Handicap and conclude with the 145th running of the Grade 1, $1

million Belmont Stakes at 6:36 p.m.

In addition, Belmont Park will offer two additional Pick 4s, with the early

Pick 4 spanning the 2ND-5TH races and the late Pick 4 beginning with the

Manhattan (the 10TH race) and ending with the 13TH race.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com