Reunited Woolley and Borel Shoot for Belmont
Five-Week Start Schedule Favors Dunkirk -- Zito and Lukas Know Race
Jun 4, 2009
Although there is no traditional Triple Crown title at stake for Saturday's 141st running of the Belmont Stakes -- that is, one Thoroughbred aiming for a sweep of the three-race series -- there is plenty of drama building for this edition, and there is a different triple sweep possible in the offing.
Jockey Calvin Borel has ridden to victory in the first two races of the series, winning aboard Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby, and snatching away the Preakness Stakes from that mount astride his super filly, Rachel Alexandra.
Borel could become the only jockey in history to win all three races on two different mounts, as he is back on the Derby winner. Rachel's connections decided not to enter the filly in the Belmont.
Pletcher Thinks Dunkirk Has Strong Chance
Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Belmont Stakes once, in 2007 with the courageous filly Rags to Riches, who outlasted eventual Horse of the Year Curlin. From a total of eight starters in the third jewel of the Triple Crown, Pletcher has walked away with four placers.
Pletcher will saddle Dunkirk five weeks from his last start in the Kentucky Derby, where the big gray son of Unbridled's Song finished 11th. Rags to Riches entered the Belmont five weeks from her Kentucky Oaks start. Pletcher likes the five-week spread and hopes it is a good omen for Dunkirk, a grandson of prolific stakes winners sire A.P. Indy, who sired Rags to Riches.
Jockey John Velazquez, who was aboard Rags to Riches for the first time in the 2007 Belmont, will ride Dunkirk for the first time on Saturday.
Post Positions for 142nd Belmont Stakes
- No. 1 --- Chocolate Candy --- 5th in Kentucky Derby --- rider, Garrett Gomez --- trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer
- No. 2 --- Dunkirk --- 11th in Derby --- John Velazquez --- Todd Pletcher
- No. 3 --- Mr. Hot Stuff --- 15th in Derby --- Edgar Prado --- Eoin Harty
- No. 4 --- Summer Bird --- 6th in Derby --- Kent Desormeaux --- Tim Ice
- No. 5 --- Luv Gov --- 8th in Preakness Stakes --- Miguel Mena --- D.Wayne Lukas
- No. 6 --- Charitable Man --- won Peter Pan Stakes --- Alan Garcia --- Kiaran McLaughlin
- No. 7 --- Mine That Bird --- Derby champ, 2nd in Preakness --- Calvin Borel --- "Chip" Woolley
- No. 8 --- Flying Private --- 4th in Preakness --- Julien Leparoux --- Lukas
- No. 9 --- Miner's Escape --- won Tesio Federico Stakes --- Jose Lezcano --- Nick Zito
- No.10 --- Brave Victory --- 3rd in Peter Pan --- Rajiv Maragh --- Zito
Mine That Bird (2-1), Charitable Man (3-1), and Dunkirk at 4 to 1 are the morning line favorites for Saturday's Belmont Stakes.
Borel Is Back and Bucking History
Borel is back in the saddle of Mine That Bird, and Bennie "Chip" Woolley Jr., MTB's trainer, is happy to have him. Woolley held out for Borel to get back on board MTB because he believed in the jockey who won a historic race for him at Churchill Downs.
Woolley told interviewers he was stunned at the size of the Belmont track when he watched Mine That Bird work on it, but he was happy with MTB's handling of the gigantic oval.
Borel viewed replays of previous Belmont runs, since he has little experience at the track. He wasn't put off. He indicated MTB has a three-eighths run, great turn of foot, and in "three jumps and go" when he's ready on the mammoth surface, the gelding would "come home in :23 and change" through the last quarter mile.
Lukas, Zito, and Prado Know the Belmont
Trainer D.Wayne Lukas has won the Belmont Stakes four times: Tabasco Cat (1994); Thunder Gulch (1995); Editor's Note (1996); and Commendable (2000).
Trainer Nick Zito will look for a third Belmont upset. His Da' Tara accomplished a huge stripping of Big Brown last season. In 2004, Zito trained Birdstone, Mine That Bird's daddy, to the Belmont's biggest upset to that point, whipping undefeated Smarty Jones in the final furlong.
Alan Garcia rode Da' Tara. The jockey's Saturday mount, Charitable Man, is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, a 2006 Belmont Stakes winner with Jazil.
Aboard Birdstone in 2004 was jockey Edgar Prado, who also upset Bob Baffert-trained War Emblem in 2002 with the improbable Sarava, a 70-1 longshot.
Big Brown's former rider, Kent Desormeaux, likes the look of his Belmont mount, "healthy, happy, and fast" Summer Bird, a half brother to Mine That Bird.
All is well in the land of Belmont Stakes drama.
