Divisidero All Set for Belmont Derby
Gunpowder Farm's Divisidero wrapped up his final preparations for today's Grade 1, $1.25 million Belmont Derby with a two-mile gallop this morning over the main track at Belmont Park, according to trainer Buff Bradley.
"He's got plenty of energy and he looks ready to go," Bradley reported.
The sophomore son of Kitten's Joy is already a winner on the inner turf course having taken the local Belmont Derby prep race, the Pennine Ridge, by a neck, despite a poor break that caused his jockey Rafael Hernandez to briefly lose an iron in the first few strides of the race.
"He's shown some versatility, especially in his last race here," said Bradley, who also trained two-time Breeders' Cup champion Groupie Doll. "He kind of broke awkward and hit the gate. Rafael lost a stirrup but quickly got it back. We thought he would be closer [to the pace] in that race but [after the break] Rafael understood that the pace wasn't what it should be and just get in there. He was able to get him up there close and then he was able to throttle him back down, which is good to be able to do that, especially for a 3-year-old."
Hernandez has been making waves as a new rider on the Kentucky and Florida circuits this year and is expected to join the jockey colony at Saratoga Race Course this summer. He has piloted Divisidero to all three of his career victories, including the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs last May, and has the return call on the colt.
"The horse is very intelligent and he listens to Rafael," Bradley said. "We wanted a patient rider for him, someone who was going to be there from the beginning with this horse."
"We'll leave a lot of [the race] up to Rafael," he added. "We need to get out of the gate well and maybe just see where we're sitting going into the first turn. But this horse has such a turn of foot and yet he doesn't have to be coming from the clouds to do it. I think that's what makes him special. He can adjust to where he needs to be and it doesn't take his race out of him. We've been very fortunate that he's been able to overcome a lot of that."
Source: NYRA Communications