King Guillermo to Bypass the Belmont Stakes

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King Guillermo to Bypass the Belmont Stakes
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Photo: Coady Photography
King Guillermo trains at Oaklawn Park ahead of the Arkansas Derby

Judging from the early reaction to the placement of the June 20 Belmont Stakes (G1), shortened this year to 1 1/8 miles, the classic could draw some of the country's leading 3-year-olds.

King Guillermo, the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner, will not be among them, however. Having been given several weeks of farm rest since his runner-up finish to Nadal in the second division of the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park May 2, he will skip the race, owner Victor Martinez said.

Martinez, a retired Major League Baseball All-Star who races under the stable name Victoria's Ranch, said his colt will return to trainer Juan Carlos Avila's Gulfstream Park barn May 27. Then he will begin preparation for the long-term target of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs Sept. 5.

Avila tweeted May 19 that King Guillermo would go straight to the Kentucky Derby, arriving in Kentucky July 27, but Martinez said plans would not be finalized until the colt returns and he and Avila can discuss options. He did not rule out the possibility they might want to start King Guillermo before the Derby.

"We'll take it day by day. We'll see what happens when he comes back," he said.

A 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo , King Guillermo appears safely in the Derby field based on his 90 qualifying points and No. 5 ranking on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, though he could be passed by other 3-year-olds who remain active this spring and summer in an extended qualifying series. When the Derby overfills, Churchill Downs officials use the top 20 points earners to determine which horses gain entry.

The victory in the Tampa Bay Derby, in which he defeated Sole Volante by 4 3/4 lengths, came following a layoff of more than three months. He then lost to Nadal by three lengths in Arkansas, though the performance left Martinez excited.

Video posted to TVG's Twitter account showed Martinez watching the race on television at home before climbing over his couch to cheer on his horse.

"It was a lot of fun for the whole family. We just enjoyed that," he said.