Sunday’s Belmont Update: Hofburg and ‘Billy’ Breeze

[Wandering Eyes]

GI Belmont S. contender Hofburg (Tapit) completed his final serious preparation for the final leg of the Triple Crown Sunday morning, breezing five furlongs in company with MGSW 4-year-old Good Samaritan (Harlan’s Holiday) over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track. Ridden by Neil Poznansky and working outside of Good Samaritan, Hofburg completed the breeze in 1:01.03 before drawing away from his stablemate past the wire.

“We wanted to do a little bit more with Hofburg than with Good Samaritan,” said Mott. “We let them both work under the wire, then I wanted to make sure Hofburg had a good gallop out. Both horses went well, and I was very pleased. Hofburg couldn’t have worked better.”

Good Samaritan is a contender for the GI Runhappy Met Mile on the Belmont day card.

Meanwhile, at Churchill Downs, Albaugh Family Stables’ GISW and GI Kentucky Derby 16th-place finisher Free Drop Billy (Union Rags) breezed five furlongs in :59.20 under regular exercise rider Juan Segundo at Churchill Downs Sunday morning as he prepares for a rematch with Justify (Scat Daddy) in the GI Belmont S.

“I don’t think he got over the track well at all in the Derby,” said trainer Dale Romans. “I think he’s coming into the race a better horse than when he faced Justify in the Derby. He’s been really training well in the lead-up to the Belmont and today was not any different.”

Justify galloped 1 1/2 miles at Churchill Sunday morning ahead of an expected breeze over the strip Monday.

The Belmont card will also feature an appearance from GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Acorn S., and the fleet-footed chestnut tuned up for that affair with a sharp half-mile breeze in :47.20 in company with older stablemate Dazzling Gem (Misremembered) at Churchill Sunday. Churchill Downs clockers caught Monomoy Girl in splits of :12.40 seconds for the first eighth-mile, :24 for the quarter-mile and :36 for three-eighths. She was timed galloping out five furlongs in :59.80 and six furlongs in 1:12.60.

“I was really pleased with what we accomplished. She seemed to cool out fine,” said trainer Brad Cox, shooting for a third straight Grade I victory with Monomoy Girl, who gave him the first in his training career in Keeneland’s Ashland. “I wanted to keep her sharp. We’re shortening up to a mile. She had a really nice breeze last week, and she followed it up with a similar breeze this week.”

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