Undefeated Dual Classic winner Justify (Scat Daddy) schooled in the starting gate and galloped 1 1/8 miles Friday morning at Churchill Downs. He will gallop Saturday and Sunday and breeze Monday. Click here for video.
“He's just breathing fire out there,” trainer Bob Baffert's assistant Jimmy Barnes said. “You can tell he's feeling full of himself. He's happy with what he's doing and that's most important. He is getting fitter and fitter each day. He has a solid foundation under him now and I think he's ready to take the big step forward.”
Todd Pletcher breezed both of his Belmont contenders, 'TDN Rising Star' Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy) and Vino Rosso (Curlin) in the rain over the Belmont training track Friday morning. GII Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy worked in company with Hyndford (Street Cry {Ire}), covering five furlongs in 1:01.22 (1/11) with Javier Castellano aboard (video). With John Velazquez in the irons, Vino Rosso went five furlongs in 1:01.55 (3/11) in company with popular GI Stephen Foster H. contender Patch (Union Rags).
“I thought they both worked very well,” said Pletcher, who won last year's Belmont with Tapwrit (Tapit). “We got the type of [Belmont] work we were hoping for, kind of a long steady five-eighths with a big gallop-out. I got them both in around 1:42 for the mile which was what I was looking for. Both of them showed they were in good form.”
Pletcher also breezed some of his other Belmont week runners: GII Brooklyn Invitational S. runners Hard Study (Big Brown) and Outplay (Bernardini) (:48.69); GI Ogden Phipps S.-bound Ivy Bell (Archarcharch) (:49.11) and Unbridled Mo (Uncle Mo) (:49.09); GII Jaipur S. hopeful Blind Ambition (Tapit) (:48.89); GI Manhattan S. contender Hi Happy (Arg) (Pure Prize) (:48.89); and Tremont S. runner Outshine (Malibu Moon) (:49.87).
Heavy rain Friday morning caused trainer Chad Brown to call an audible and move Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus})'s breeze to Saturday. He will likely work on the main track after the break.
“I was going to work and I waited until after the break, I wasn't comfortable going today,” Brown said. “It's just bad luck. I was moving it up a day anyway because there might be some rain. I prefer to work Saturday anyway, but I was prepared to work today.”
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