Correas Likes Monzon's Chances

Trainer Ignacio Correas continued to express confidence Friday that his 30-1 long shot Monzon would run a big race for Sagamore Farm in the Belmont Stakes. The Thunder Gulch gelding will arrive at around 8 a.m. Saturday morning and await the race in the barn of trainer Billy Badgett.

“He’s going to run a big race,” said Correas, who trained top horses early in his career in his home country of Argentina before moving to the United States. “Sometimes people who have been around a horse know things that only they know. People can handicap only off the paper. Only we can know the horse. He showed some talent early. You had to know how the horse going into the Peter Pan. He needed that race to complete the preparation. We were not looking for a big effort because it takes a lot to recover. That’s why I think he’s sitting on a big one now. He has done almost everything perfect for this race.”

Asked when he knew he had a quality horse, Correas said, “I don’t know if he’s quality, but I knew the first time I ran him he was good. I took him to Colonial Downs — he had never left the farm — and I took him for 5 ½ (furlongs) and he was 80 lengths from the lead and he came flying. I said next time we run a mile, he’ll crush them, and he did. He won by 12 lengths.”