Tonalist Prepares for Suburban Handicap
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Set to make his third start of the year for owner Robert S. Evans and trainer Christophe Clement, 4-year-old Tonalist will look to rebound in the July 4 $500,000 Suburban Handicap (gr. II) off a second-place finish in the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) on Belmont Stakes Day June 6.
The classic-winning son of Tapit worked on the Belmont Park main track Friday morning, completing five furlongs in 1:01.22.
"Tonalist had a nice work," Clement said of last year's Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner. "The plan is to go for the Suburban and everything is good."
Stretching back out to 1 1/4 miles for the Suburban, a distance at which he won last year's Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) at Belmont, Tonalist will also make a return to racing without blinkers for the first time this year while retaining the services of Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, who rode the colt in the Met Mile.