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Creative Minister posts final breeze for G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets

by NYRA Press Office

• Creative Minister posts final breeze for G1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets
• Ethereal Road out of G1 Belmont Stakes
• Rich Strike has lighter gallop for G1 Belmont Stakes

Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing and Magdalena Racing’s Creative Minister had his final work on Monday in preparation for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. The son of Creative Cause breezed an easy half-mile in 50.33 seconds over the fast main track at Belmont Park. 

“It was something simple,” said trainer Kenny McPeek. “We let him stretch his legs; he had a long gallop and he did everything right. He looked happy doing it.” 

Creative Minister was guided through the exercise by Heman Harkie, who was also aboard for his half-mile breeze last week. The grey colt stood near the finish line for a few minutes before the breeze, surveying Big Sandy with his head up and ears forward as Harkie gave his neck a few strokes. 

The pair then took off the wrong way around towards the top of the stretch so that Creative Minister could get a sense of Belmont’s looming grandstand and long home stretch. Creative Minister was taken to the backstretch to begin his work and NYRA clockers caught his first quarter-mile in 24 and 4/5 seconds. He travelled well to finish the work in 50.33 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:04 flat. 

“He’s a very smart horse,” McPeek said. “He hasn’t missed a beat and has been eating well. He just needed a maintenance half-mile. All systems go.” 

Creative Minister established himself in the 3-year-old division with a rallying third-place effort in the Grade 1 Preakness on May 21, finishing 3 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Early Voting. He was awarded a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, which was his stakes debut. 

McPeek is in search of his second Belmont Stakes triumph and first since Sarava stunned the 2002 running at odds of 70-1, the longest shot in history to win the “Test of the Champion.”

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Ethereal Road out of G1 Belmont Stakes

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas reported on Monday morning that Aaron Sones’ Ethereal Road will not make the trip for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets due to a quarter crack in his right front hoof. 

The stakes-winning son of Quality Road was last seen winning the Sir Barton on Pimlico’s Preakness undercard. Ethereal Road was scratched the day before the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby allowing subsequent upset winner Rich Strike to draw in. 

“He popped a quarter crack. We’ll soak it and get him better and look for another one,” Lukas said. “I really wanted to run him in [the Belmont Stakes], I thought that’s the one he really fit. But the horse has the final say, so we’ll have to skip it.”

Lukas mentioned the possibility of the Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 25 at Thistledown as his next start, with the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy on July 30 and the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 27 at Saratoga Race Course as long term goals. 

“We’ll look at the Ohio Derby, definitely the Jim Dandy and Travers will be on our radar,” Lukas said. “We’ll bring him up to Saratoga, so we’ll look at that.”

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Rich Strike has lighter gallop for G1 Belmont Stakes

RED TR-Racing’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike shortened up to 1 1/4 miles for his daily exercise on Monday and left the track wanting to do more in his daily gallop for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. 

Rich Strike had his typical morning routine, schooling through Belmont’s paddock before walking through the tunnel and onto the fast main track with regular exercise rider Gabriel Lagunes aboard. 

Trainer Eric Reed said he was pleased with the gallop, but knew Rich Strike needed to gallop farther when he had a spirited exit from the main track. 

“I didn’t gallop him hard enough because he came off the track rearing up,” said Reed, who typically gallops the Keen Ice chestnut 1 1/2 miles or farther. “I’ll have to do a little more with him tomorrow. We were trying not to push him too hard, but it’s like I always say, he lets you know when he wants to do more.” 

The Belmont Stakes will be Rich Strike’s first start since he upset the Kentucky Derby at odds of 80-1 with an off-the-pace trip and rail-skimming ride from jockey Sonny Leon, tactics that Reed said could be slightly different in the “Test of the Champion.” 

“I’m not too worried about the draw either way. I would probably be fine with an outside post again just to let him get a spot – I think he’ll be a lot closer to the pace than anyone imagines,” said Reed. “He’s gotten smarter and more aggressive. The pace won’t be near what he’s used to running in any of his other races. I could be wrong because he’ll do whatever he wants, but something tells me he’s going to be more aggressive on his own for this race. I think he’s changed for the better.

“I think even if he drops back out of the gate, it won’t take him as long to get where he needs to be anyway,” Reed added. “I think in the middle of the turn, if he’s within four or five lengths, they’ll have to deal with him.”