Pletcher Contenders Lead Busy Belmont Work Tab

The morning of June 4 was a busy one for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, who breezed several heavy hitters at Belmont Park, including June 11 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) contenders Mo Donegal  and Nest . The Saturday work tab also included Belmont contenders We the People  and Skippylongstocking  at Belmont Park and Barber Road at Churchill Downs.

Mo Donegal, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, and Nest, piloted by Jose Ortiz, went to the Belmont training track around 9:30 a.m. ET and went a half-mile over a fast track in :49.90. Pletcher caught the pair going a quarter in :24 4/5 before galloping out to six furlongs in 1:14 and to seven furlongs in 1:27 1/5.

"I thought it was good. I liked the way they finished and galloped out," Pletcher said. "Those horses seem to be in good form. This was more of a maintenance work. They had a strong work last week with a big, long gallop out. This week we wanted just a maintenance type of work, which they were able to execute properly."

Donegal Racing and Repole Stable's Mo Donegal, a son of Uncle Mo  , was fifth in the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) last out after a slow start from the inside post. 

Nest, owned by Repole, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House, is the lone filly in this year's Belmont and comes off a second in the May 6 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). A triumph from the daughter of Curlin   would make Pletcher, who saddled Rags to Riches to beat the boys in the 2007 Belmont, the only trainer to win dual Triple Crown races with a filly.

Pletcher also worked Shadwell Stable's Malathaat  in preparation for the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) on the Belmont undercard. The 4-year-old Curlin filly went a half-mile in :48.75 over the training track in company with sophomore maiden Inventing .

WinStar Farm and CHC's Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Life Is Good  also logged another impressive work over the Belmont training track, covering a half-mile in :49.25. The son of Into Mischief   is eyeing a comeback in the $250,000 John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) July 2 at Belmont. He ran fourth last-out in the March 26 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1).

Pletcher's Saturday morning work tab also included Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Wit , who went a half-mile in :49.70 in preparation for a start in the Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Mohegan Sun (G1), also on Belmont Day.

Chilean-bred stakes-winner First Constitution  went a half-mile in :50.22 prepping for the Brooklyn Handicap (G2) on the Belmont undercard. Also targeting the Brooklyn is Repole Stable's three-time graded stakes winner Fearless , who went a half-mile in :48.88 over the training track.

KHK Racing's Shahama , sixth in the Kentucky Oaks, went a half-mile in :50.28 in company with grade 1-placed A Mo Reay . A half sister to dual champion Lookin At Lucky  , Shahama is targeting the June 25 Mother Goose Stakes (G2) at Belmont.

We the People Works Under Brisset

WinStar Farm, CMNWLTH and Siena Farm's We the People breezed a half-mile in :47.59 over the Belmont main track with trainer Rodolphe Brisset aboard in preparation for his upcoming Belmont Stakes bid.

The bay son of Constitution   made his way towards the backstretch of a fast Big Sandy in the company of a pony before breaking off on his own to start the four-furlong drill. NYRA clockers caught We the People marking off a quarter-mile in :24 1/5 as he continued to move strongly through the turn and into the stretch about three paths from the rail.

Brisset eased up on We the People a few strides before the wire, and he galloped out to five furlongs in 1:00 2/5.

"It was a little fast," said Brisset as We the People cooled out around the barn. "The track with the moisture in it will carry you. He couldn't have done it any easier. He was just galloping. He repeated what we've been seeing the whole time here. It looked like he really enjoyed it to me. We've got to have a good week now."

Winner of the May 14 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Belmont, We the People enters the third leg of the Triple Crown with a 3-for-4 record, his only loss a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (G1). He has won his three starts by a combined 21 lengths, highlighted by a 10 1/4-length romp in the Peter Pan.



Skippylongstocking Tunes Up With Franco

Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking, fifth in the May 21 Preakness Stakes (G1), breezed five-eighths in 1:02.41 on the main track at Belmont.

NYRA clockers caught the graded stakes-placed Exaggerator   colt working solo under Manny Franco through splits of :25 3/5, :37 4/5, and out in 1:15 4/5 over the fast main track.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr, who is looking for his first score in a Triple Crown race, said he was pleased with the effort.

"We're coming back in three weeks, so we weren't looking for much. We wanted a steady, long and easy breeze and that's what we got," Joseph, Jr. said.

Franco, who guided New York-bred Tiz the Law   to victory in the 2020 Belmont Stakes when the race was contested at 1 1/8 miles as the first leg of a postponed Triple Crown due to the onset of COVID-19, will pilot Skippylongstocking in the afternoon for the first time next Saturday.

Joseph said he is hopeful that Franco can work out a stalking trip.

"It seems that in the Belmont it's hard to make up too much ground. Most of the horses that run well are closer to the pace," Joseph said.

Meanwhile, WSS Racing's Belmont Stakes prospect Barber Road breezed five furlongs from the gate at Churchill Downs in 1:00 4/5 for trainer John Ortiz. He ran sixth in the Kentucky Derby, beaten 4 3/4 lengths, after hitting the board in the Arkansas Derby, Rebel Stakes (G2), and Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park when competing in graded company.