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Horse Racing

Belmont Stakes 2008

The unfamiliar, if not unorthodox, training of Casino Drive continued Thursday after the mid-morning break.

The Mineshaft colt is out to become the third consecutive Belmont Stakes winner out of the mare, Better Than Honour, when he goes to post Saturday afternoon in the 140th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes. He is also out to ruin Big Brown’s bid to become racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner.

Casino Drive did not seem happy with the muddy/sealed track as he took jockey Edgar Prado three furlongs in 42 2/5; a half in 55 ¾ and out five furlongs in 1:08. He repeatedly switched leads and had his ears pinned back through the lane.

Still, his connections say the undefeated Grade 2 Peter Pan winner is right on schedule for the 1 ½-mile “Test of the Champion,” despite it being only his third career start.

“Because of how the track was today, we went slow,” said Nobutaka Tada, spokesperson for owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. “But he is fit enough. He has been doing what we wanted and we only have to keep him happy now.”

Casino Drive, a half-brother to 2006 Belmont winner Jazil and a three-quarter brother to 2007 Belmont winner Rags to Riches, has drawn attention with his daily regimen since winning the Peter Pan. He is vigorously walked with stablemates Spark Candle and Champagne Squall for about an hour every morning. He then goes to the track and then walks for another hour throughout the horse paths at Belmont Park.

On trainer commented: “At first, we thought they brought all of these horses over from Japan, but it turns out it was the same three going all around the place.”

Retired Hall of Fame jockey and television analyst Jerry Bailey said, “The groom could leave the barn, go to a movie and get back before the horses.”

Tada said that Casino Drive would not school at the gate, but would continue his regular schedule up to the race.

“He goes to the paddock for 15 minutes every day, and there is so much press that it is good for him,” Tada said. “He is very fit and he will be ready for the Belmont Stakes.”


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Temperatures are predicted to top the 90-degree mark on Saturday, but trainer Rick Dutrow added the heat to a list of things he says will not affect undefeated Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, who will try for the Triple Crown.

“I can’t imagine (the heat) being a factor; none whatsoever,” said Dutrow. “Not for our horse. I don’t know about the other horses.”

Big Brown, who has been going out around 9 a.m., had an early morning jog around Belmont Park’s main track at approximately 5:30 a.m. Thursday. The change was made in order to accommodate the schedule of Dutrow, who has the rest of his stable at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“He was just going to jog,” said the trainer. “I just wanted to get a chance to go over to Aqueduct and breeze horses, but that track wasn’t any good either. That’s why I got him out early today.”

Dutrow said that Friday, hoof specialist Ian McKinlay will apply an acrylic patch to the quarter-crack on Big Brown’s left front foot. The procedure will only take about 45 minutes, said the trainer.

“We could run him the way he is, but we’re going to patch it up,” said Dutrow. “We’re not taking any kind of risks by patching him right now.”

Wednesday afternoon, Big Brown posed with five models representing Hooters restaurants, a scene that has Dutrow still shaking his head.

“I’m telling you, this horse is so cool,” he said. “I mean, there’s five girls lined up looking away, and he walked right up, put his head in between all of them, and didn’t move his head. And just stood there. Every time I see this horse do something, he absolutely amazes me. You just don’t see that kind of stuff.”

Big Brown is residing in the same stall as Empire Maker, whom Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel saddled to victory in the 2003 Belmont.

“Empire Maker is the last horse to win from the one hole, and there have been 23 winners of the Belmont Stakes who have broken from the one hole, twice as many as any other post,” Dutrow said.

When it was pointed out that odds-on favorites have lost 60 percent of the time (Big Brown is 2-5 on the morning line), Dutrow replied: “Well, it ain’t gonna happen this year, babe.”


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Earle I. Mack’s Icabad Crane completed a visit to the paddock and a 1 ¼-mile gallop as his Thursday’s preparations for the Belmont.

With exercise rider Xavier Aizpuro aboard, the son of Jump Start was on the main track for the routine gallop on Belmont’s main track.

“He’s doing fine,” said assistant trainer Adrian Rolls, who is overseeing Belmont preparations until trainer H. Graham Motion arrives on Friday evening. “Tomorrow, we’ll take him to the gate and let him stand and then he’ll gallop a mile and a half as maintenance.”

Rolls remarked on how he and Motion are pleased with the seasoning the New York-bred has shown since his third-place finish in the Preakness Stakes.

“We’re around him daily and we’ve noticed that he’s started to fill out around his middle and become more mature,” Rolls explained. “This is a good thing to see heading into this race.”

The anticipation and excitement of the 140th Belmont is not lost on Rolls who has been with Motion since the mid-1980’s when they both worked for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard.

“We’ve had prominent horses that have been in big stakes races like the Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown events,” Rolls said. “But no matter how many times you experience the events it is always special. It’s the reason why we’re here every morning. When it’s no longer special, I guess you’ve experienced too much success.”


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Trainer David Carroll was aboard Denis of Cork this morning as the third-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby went to the paddock, stood in the starting gate and then galloped 1 ¼ miles on Belmont’s main track.

It was the first trip to the track for the Florida-bred son of Harlan’s Holiday, who arrived at Belmont yesterday after a flight from Kentucky.

Carroll, a native of Ireland, began his career as an exercise rider at Belmont for Hall of Fame trainer Claude “Shug” McGaughey. His Belmont contender is now stabled in the same barn in which Carroll worked during the early part of his career.

“Being here in the barn brings back many great memories for me,” Carroll explained. “It was great then and it’s great coming back now for the Belmont.”

Skipping the Preakness has allowed Carroll time to fully prepare Denis of Cork for the rigors of the Belmont’s 12 furlongs.

“I view it as we went into the Derby without a prep,” Carroll said. “The Illinois Derby (a fifth and Denis of Cork’s only off the board finish) really didn’t provide us a benefit. Now he has a mile and a quarter under his belt. He is fitter and more mature, and hopefully on Saturday, we’ll be in the winner’s circle.”


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Trainer Todd Pletcher reported that Ready’s Echo galloped a mile and a quarter Thursday morning, stood at the gate, and was to have schooled in the paddock in the afternoon.

“Everybody’s happy,” said Pletcher.


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West Point Thoroughbreds’ Macho Again made his first trip to the Belmont track after arriving from his Churchill Downs base in Kentucky on Wednesday. The runner up of the Preakness Stakes schooled in the paddock before going to the track and jogging a mile and a quarter on the main track.

Terry Finley, the managing partner of West Point Thoroughbreds, was on hand with trainer Dallas Stewart to oversee the Florida-bred son of Macho Uno's preparations.

“This is a very prestigious race and the whole racing world, and a great part of the overall sports world will be focused on the outcome of this race,” said Finley.

“When you do what we do for a living, you could not pick a greater spot to be a contender. Sometimes, horses don’t turn out to achieve what everyone thinks they will do. Our role on Saturday is to provide the highest level of competition and try to achieve success by winning this race. I am pleased for all 16 of our partners for Macho Again. On Saturday, 15 of those owners will be here. The only exception is an elderly gentlemen in Florida that was not able to make the trip.”

It is the second Belmont attempt for both West Point Thoroughbreds (2006, High Finance, 10th) and Dallas Stewart (2001, Dollar Bill, 4th

Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who saddled Birdstone to victory in the 2004 Belmont Stakes, said that Belmont contenders Anak Nakal and Da’ Tara had a “nice gallop” Thursday morning.

“They went nice,” he said.

Anak Nakal’s owner, Hassem Masri, was on hand at barn 12 and talked about what he expected from the colt, a son of Victory Gallop out of the Quiet American mare Misk, from his breeding.

“I bred that to be more of a Dr. Fager, a miler,” he said. “But when we broke the horse, and saw him going to the track, I made a phone call to Nick and let him know he had a classic horse.”


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Tale of Ekati has been flying beneath the radar in the days leading up to the Belmont Stakes. The Tale of the Cat colt, however, has only been worse than fourth once in his seven-race career. And, he won Aqueduct’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial., beating 2007 juvenile champion War Pass.

Tale of Ekati is trained by Barclay Tagg, who five years ago, lost his bid for the Triple Crown when Funny Cide was beaten in the Belmont Stakes.


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Guadalcanal arrived at Belmont Park on Wednesday. Winless in five starts for owner/trainer Fred Seitz, the Graeme Hall colt will be hoping to join Algerine in 1876 and Prince Eugene in 1913 as the only horses to break their maidens in the Belmont Stakes.


NYRA Press Office