Suddenbreakingnews readies for Belmont Stakes

Edited Press Release

Grade 3 winner Suddenbreakingnews, fifth last out in the Kentucky Derby (G1), began serious preparation for the June 11 Belmont Stakes (G1) with a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.60 on Monday over the fast dirt at Churchill Downs with Joe Rocco Jr. in the irons.

“It looks like with the way he ran in the Derby and with his pedigree the mile-and-a-half distance should suit him well,” trainer Donnie Von Hemel said. “It’s one of the few mile-and-a-half races we have left in America so I think we need to go run in it. Pace is always an issue and we’ll have to see how that shapes up, but he can go a mile-and-a-half so we’ll do what we can do.”

Fellow Grade 3 scorer Mo Tom, eighth in the Kentucky Derby, worked a half-mile under the Twin Spires in :49 Monday with regular exercise rider Mario Garcia aboad. Trainer Tom Amoss said the Uncle Mo sophomore is “possible” for the third jewel of the Triple Crown.

“He is only a possibility, not a probable,” Amoss stated. “We’ll make a decision after this weekend.

“He worked well. It was his first work since the Derby. He showed good energy and came out of it well. You’ll probably see us go again Monday of this week weather permitting and I think we’ll make a decision after that work.”

Creator, 13th in the Kentucky Derby following a 1 1/4-length victory in the Arkansas Derby (G1), is also “possible” for the Belmont Stakes, according to assistant trainer Scott Blasi. The gray son of Tapit clocked five furlongs in 1:02 on Monday at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Dale Romans has scheduled a breeze on Saturday for Grade 1 hero and Kentucky Derby seventh Brody’s Cause, who is expected to be joined in the Belmont Stakes starting gate by stablemate and Preakness runner-up Cherry Wine.

The Preakness weekend proved to be a successful one for Romans, who saddled one-two finishers Go Maggie Go and Ma Can Do It in the Black Eyed Susan (G2) before Cherry Wine finished a late-closing second behind Exaggerator in the Preakness the following day.

“I thought that I would win the Preakness,” Romans said. “But we took horses over there knowing that they would do really well and that they were going to run their best if they were good enough and we left there feeling pretty good about everything.”

Cherry Wine’s Preakness effort was one that convinced Romans to point him to the Belmont Stakes.

“A mile-and-a-half won’t hurt him, he’ll run all day,” Romans asserted.

The trainer said that Go Maggie Go would point to the $700,000 Acorn (G1) at Belmont Park on the June 11 Belmont Stakes undercard while Ma Can Do It, who is still a maiden, will likely drop down and face maiden special weight company at Churchill Downs in her next start.

Suddenbreakingnews working before the Kentucky Derby (Churchill DownsCoady Photography)