Lost boots and pace plans fill Belmont Stakes barn chatter

Elmont, N.Y.

While the favorite was getting acquainted with the main track and the last of the out-of-town trainers arrived at Belmont Park, one of the nine Belmont Stakes horses breezed Wednesday morning, just three days before the $1.5 million race.

And it was not entirely uneventful.

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France Go de Ina, likely the longest of Saturday’s long shots, went five furlongs in 1:02.62, according to Equibase. Workout analyst Bruno De Julio had it in 1:01.8 after a first furlong in 13.2 and four furlongs in 49.2.

“It was to build up muscle and to stay fit,” trainer Hideyuki Mori told Horse Racing Nation through an interpreter. “He moved very well this morning.”

Exactly three weeks beforehand, France Go de Ina turned in a similar workout at Pimlico before his seventh-place finish May 15 in the Preakness. That day, his rider Masaki Takano fell off the horse at the end of the breeze. The incident was more embarrassing than it was painful.

This time the Will Take Charge colt lost all four of his bell boots, which are placed around the hooves to prevent horses from grabbing a quarter.

“It was a present for the track,” Mori said with a smile.

France Go de Ina (30-1) breezed a couple hours after morning-line favorite Essential Quality (2-1) went out for one of his typical pre-dawn gallops. This one came one day after his 777-mile van ride from Kentucky.

It also was the first morning at the track for trainer John Sadler, who hopes Rock Your World (9-2) gets a better trip than the one he had that left him third from last in the Kentucky Derby.

“We get our shot at redemption,” Sadler told HRN. “He was kind of eliminated at the start, so there wasn’t a lot of suspense or drama for us.”

Rock Your World was expected to challenge eventual first-place finisher Medina Spirit for the lead that day. Expectations are not much different for Saturday, when the Candy Ride colt who was undefeated before the Derby could conceivably become only the fourth horse this century to lead the Belmont from gate to wire.

That is presuming Sadler and jockey Joel Rosario want him setting the pace.

“It’s hard to say,” Sadler said. “We’ll leave that up to Rosario. We’ll see him forwardly placed – at worst.”

That being the preferred option, Rock Your World also was treated to a preferred draw Tuesday, getting post 7 in the field of eight.

“That’s a good post, because you’re a little bit to the outside,” Sadler said. “We’ve only got one horse on the outside of us. So I love the post.”

Sadler knows that Rock Your World will not be alone wanting the lead. Trainer Doug O’Neill suggested Tuesday that jockey Flavien Prat and his colt Hot Rod Charlie could go forward early.

“It’s up to the riders,” Sadler said, “but I imagine Hot Rod Charlie will be up there. I think a lot of (the other trainers) see themselves with the same trip, stalking the pace or on the pace. Hopefully, Rock Your World is up there.”

France Go de Ina might be there too. But after declaring he would challenge for the early lead in the Preakness, Mori sounded more resolved to have newly assigned jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. stay away from kickback, wherever that puts him.

“The horse really tends to shy away from dirt in his face,” Mori said. “I would still like to be closer to the lead and not directly behind other horses.”

The National Weather Service is forecasting heavy rain for most of the Thursday, which will have an impact on the morning activity for the Belmont horses.

“We plan to gallop,” Sadler said, “but we’ll watch the weather. As they say, wait a day. It will change.”

Showers are forecast for Friday, but race day Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny with a high of 82. The Belmont Stakes is posted for 6:49 p.m. EDT.