France Go de Ina Posts Final Work for Belmont Stakes

In his final piece of preparation for the June 5, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), France Go de Ina  breezed five furlongs over a fast main track June 2 at Belmont Park. 

Under mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, Yuji Inaida's Will Take Charge   colt took to the track under exercise rider Masaki Takano at 7:30 a.m. ET and registered eighth-mile splits of :13.12, :25.78, and :49.23 before completing his breeze in 1:02.62. 

Trainer Hideyuki Mori was on site to watch the seventh-place Preakness Stakes (G1) finisher.

"He moved really well. We were really happy with the work this morning," Mori said through translator Kate Hunter. "The extra time between this race and shipping in from Japan gives him time to build his body up some more and add condition."

Godolphin's Essential Quality  visited the Belmont main track for the first time at 5:30 a.m. Trainer Brad Cox said the Tapit   colt appeared to move well over Big Sandy.

"He stood for a minute and then jogged off the right way and galloped about a mile and three-eighths and he seemed to get over the ground really well," said Cox. "My assistant, Dustin Dugas, was on him. It went very smooth. Dustin came back and said he's a very smooth-going horse and intelligent. That's what you want to hear from the guy on his back."

Cox said Essential Quality will visit the starting gate Thursday ahead of his regular gallop.

John and Diane Fradkin's Preakness winner Rombauer continued preparations for the Belmont when galloping 1 1/2 miles over the main track after the break at 8:45 a.m. 

"He's been here for nearly three weeks, so nothing is new to him at this point. He's been settling in nicely," trainer Michael McCarthy said. 

Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, Strauss Bros Racing, and Gainesway Thoroughbreds' Hot Rod Charlie , trained by Doug O'Neill, also visited the main track after the break under exercise rider Jonny Garcia. 

"He got out there and he jogged about five-eighths and galloped a mile and a quarter," said O'Neill. "It was very similar to what we do back home, but the mile-and-a-half circumference here makes it a little different."

Hronis Racing and David Michael Talla's Rock Your World , winner of the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April, visited the main track near 7 a.m. 

"He went for a routine gallop, about a mile and a quarter. He did it just easy," said Juan Leyva, assistant to trainer John Sadler. "He's doing well. He's happy. He comes off the track with good energy."

Pletcher sent his trio of Belmont Stakes contenders—St. Elias Stable's Known Agenda , Calumet Farm's Bourbonic , and Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, and Derrick Smith's Overtook —to the main track at 6 a.m. to gallop 1 1/2 miles. The veteran conditioner said all are in good order.