Easy Goer a Better Spot for Kid Cruz

For much of this past week, multiple stakes winner Kid Cruz was listed as a possible entrant for the Belmont Stakes, but Linda Rice said that, in the end, skipping the race in favor of the $150,000 Easy Goer on the undercard was the right move.

"It was not that tough," Rice said of the decision. "We figured off that race in Maryland [an eighth-place finish behind California Chrome in the Preakness Stakes], he should be in against something other than the toughest horses in America."

Kid Cruz, who won the Private Terms and Federico Tesio this spring before trying the Preakness, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a field of nine 3-year-olds for the 1 1/16-mile Easy Goer.

The race came up tough, with a promising group of horses looking to have an impact in the division in the second half of the year. Second choice at 3-1 is Legend, a James Bond-trained son of Tiznow who broke his maiden May 4, earning at Beyer Speed Figure of 97 going at mile at Belmont Park.

Rice hopes the Easy Goer is a springboard to greater things for Kid Cruz down the road.

"The Belmont would be a thrill to be a part of, and I know from experience it's better when you're competitive," Rice said. "Right now, we're pointing to run [in the Easy Goer], and we'll look forward to the Jim Dandy and Travers and hope we have a horse good enough to run then."