Spoiling
The field for the Belmont Stakes will be drawn on Wednesday, and challengers are lining up to spoil American Pharoah’s Triple Crown run.
“Weird things happen in the Belmont. Never duck one horse,” trainer Kenny McPeek texted the Churchill Downs press office on Friday, explaining why he was entering The Truth or Else. [10:10 AM Update: The Truth or Else is out of Saturday’s race with “filling in ankle.” The likely field is now nine eight.]
“I should probably run four,†said trainer Todd Pletcher, who plans to start three two — Carpe Diem Materiality and Madefromlucky. “[I]t’s a little bittersweet to have a horse in the race trying to beat [Pharoah],” said Materiality co-owner Gil Moutray. “We’re a spoiler and we like our horse.”
“I think I have a live long shot, and I think people might feel the same way in another week,” said trainer Nick Zito of his contender, Frammento.
Preakness runner-up Tale of Verve will also take a shot.
American Pharoah worked on Monday, going five furlongs in 1:00.20 (splits from Churchill Downs: 13, 25, 36.60, 48.60). Mike Welsch, getting him in 1:00.08, praised the move: “AP seemingly getting stronger the further he went while giving the appearance that he was just galloping the entire way.”
The only thing that’s easy about the Belmont six days out is imagining what the Pharoah camp is thinking right now: Good luck, spoilers.
Video of Pharoah’s five-furlong breeze:
6/1/15 Update: Reaction to American Pharoah’s Monday appearance: “One trainer who detailed all the reasons American Pharoah would not win the Triple Crown before he breezed said simply afterward, ‘I take it all back.’ Others said his coat looked shiny and he appeared to be in great shape.”
6/2/15 Addendum: Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin hopes to hear boos after the Belmont Stakes because Frosted has won. “You know I’m a racing fan too, and if we lose, I hope he wins for the Triple Crown, but once they go in the starting gate it’s all about your team and your own horse. We’re trying to win the race.”
