Maker Impressed with Stately Victor
Belmont contender Stately Victor has two victories in his nine-race career, a 4½-length score on the turf last summer at Saratoga and his shocking 4¼-length triumph at odds of 40-1 in the Blue Grass Stakes on Keeneland’s artificial track.
“He’s run well on dirt, so far, but you’d like to get that win,” the Ghostzapper colt’s trainer, Michael Maker, said Thursday morning. He would like to see it come Saturday in the Belmont.
Stately Victor has had his moments on dirt: He broke slowly in his debut, an off-the-turf seven-furlong race at Saratoga, and closed fast four wide to finish a good second to the talented Winslow Homer, who took his next two starts including the Grade 3 Holy Bull.
Stately Victor then opened his 2010 campaign forwardly placed in a 1 1/8th-mile dirt race at Gulfstream and tired behind eventual winner Drosselmeyer, who also is running in the Belmont.
After two nondescript turf races, Stately Victor crashed onto the Triple Crown scene with his win in the Blue Grass. In the Kentucky Derby, he was 18 lengths back after a quarter-mile and pulled within three but was unable to overcome all the bumping and trouble of his trip.
“He didn’t disgrace himself in the Derby,” Maker said. “We would have liked a better placing.
“He couldn’t look any better right now,” he added, “and he’s handled his weight after the Derby. He’s been impressive from Day 1 and still is impressive.
Maker knows exactly how he wants the 1½-mile “Test of the Champion” to unfold: “I see a fast pace; he’s sitting in a perfect spot on the outside, six or seven lengths off the pace and widens in the stretch. I’ve had that dream a lot.”