RED TR-Racing’s Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winners Rich Strike got his first look at Belmont Park main track on the morning of June 2, galloping a mile and a half down the ramp with regular exerciser Gabriel Lagunes in the iron. The son of Keen Ice hit Belmont early Wednesday morning and ran two miles on the track yesterday in preparation for the June 11 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1).
Coach Eric Reed said: “Looks like he did things a little bit better than I thought he would. “We actually took him out yesterday and we’re giving him a turn — the rider said he wanted to give him another turn, so he went twice on the track ( training) and got to know the horse and make friends there. We took him to the main track today. It was a bit wet so we just did one lap and we made him go at speed. Ours. He doesn’t care about it. His ears are back and he wants to Go. So tomorrow he will have a chance to go out and train as usual.”
Rich Strike walked through the clearing parallel to the larger athlete Juan Galvez and his foal, Stormy, who would accompany Rich Strike throughout the preparations leading up to Belmont. The two quietly made a few laps of the walking path with the other trainees behind them before going through the tunnel and on to the main track.
Lagunes notes that Rich Strike, who can be mentally alert in the morning, has found it significantly more relaxed in Belmont.
“He was very happy. I think he liked the song,” Lagunes said. “He’s quite fresh and a little pulled, but here he’s more relaxed than in Churchill Downs. There (at Churchill) there were a lot of horses and a lot of traffic and he was a little nervous. But not here. “
Reed said Rich Strike seems ready for more in his workout.
“We never really tried to get him to go at a certain pace except today, and he didn’t like that. He wanted to go his own way,” Reed said. “It’s his second day back and I’m not sure if he’s tired and won’t show, so I don’t want to overdo it today. Tomorrow we’ll let him go. He does his job.”
With the track rated wet from overnight rain, Reed said he’ll know more about how Rich Strike handles the surface once he gallops at a brisk pace.
“He’s done everything right. He’s enjoying it,” Reed said. “It’s a bit wet today so I don’t think we have a real feel for the track. Maybe tomorrow if it’s dry I’ll get a chance to watch him and I think in a few days I’ll have a race. nice contest. good opinion on how he got to the track.”
Jeff Perrin, a representative for Rich Strike driver Sonny Leon, said the rider will head to New York next Thursday night with the goal of participating in the Friday, June 9 card in Belmont.
“I wanted to give Sonny a couple of rides on Friday so he could get a feel for the track, so I contacted a few trainers there,” Perrin said. “He’s going to watch a lot of replays of the Belmonts races first to see who did what and how it went. And then he’s going to research every race next week at Belmont Park to get ready. ready.”
Leon’s only mount at an NYRA track last year at Racecourse Saratoga when he drives Forewarned finished sixth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).
Perrin said he’s not too worried about Leon having a light schedule during the Belmont Stakes Day as the driver won just four races at Churchill Downs before the Kentucky Derby.
“Even on Derby Day, the only race he entered was the Kentucky Derby,” Perrin said. “The dream is to be in and run in the Kentucky Derby but the dream has never gone as far as to win it, but good God has different plans for all of us.”
