Motion readies big contingent for Belmont Park's Stars & Stripes Day
Wertheimer and Frere's Rugbyman came out of his Friday breeze in good order and is on target for the Grade 3, $300,000 Dwyer for 3-year-olds on Stars & Stripes Day July 7, trainer Graham Motion said by phone Saturday morning.
Rugbyman breezed five furlongs in 1:01.70 on Belmont's main track with regular jockey Jose Ortiz aboard for the work. Motion said he worked the Tapit colt with blinkers as he prepares for his graded stakes debut.
"Everything's gone pretty smoothly; we kept him up there and worked him with blinkers, which is what we plan to do on Saturday," Motion said.
Rugbyman did not race as a juvenile, finishing third in his debut on April 13 at Keeneland. He followed up by breaking his maiden with an eye-opening 14-length score at one mile on May 13 at Belmont. Motion said he kept Rugbyman at Belmont after the race to train for the Easy Goer, where he finished second to Prince Lucky by a neck on Belmont Stakes Day, June 9.
Rugbyman, cutting back in distance from 1 1/16 miles to one mile, has improved his Beyer Speed Figures in every single race, giving Motion confidence as he heads into the Dwyer.
"He's taken on a lot very quickly, but we always liked him a lot and liked him enough to take him to Keeneland, and he ran a good race in that first one," Motion said. "For the [Dwyer], it's not changing too much, and it makes sense to keep him there and run at a similar distance around one turn."
Stars & Stripes Day will feature a talented contingent from Motion, who will also saddle Thewayiam in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies.
"She's very straightforward and she's done everything I've asked her to do," Motion said. "She's taken us there and has [earned the right] to be there."
The French-bred has four wins and two second-place finishes in seven starts since arriving in the United States, posting victories in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant on February 3 at Gulfstream Park at one mile and the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on March 3 at Gulfstream at 1 1/16 miles. She will now stretch out to 1 ¼ miles for the first time.
"The mile and a quarter is a bit of a question mark, but she's been remarkable at shorter distances. She's handled everything I've asked her to do," said Motion.
Motion also said that West Point Thoroughbreds' Untamed Domain remains a possibility for the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational in the feature of a stacked card that includes five graded stakes on July 7.
Since running second to Mendelssohn in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on November 3 at Del Mar, Untamed Domain has twice finished in the money in graded stakes, running third in his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Dania Beach on February 3 at Gulfstream and second in the Grade 2 American Turf on May 5at Churchill Downs.
In his last start, Untamed Domain ran fourth after a wide trip in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge at Belmont; an effort Motion blamed on himself and one he is looking to correct as he looks to run at 1 ¼ miles for the first time.
"We kept Untamed Domain eligible, so there is a chance he could run," Motion said. "He's been doing well. I'm upset with myself for the way he ran last time. We kind of changed tactics on him and took him out of his game and it blew up.
"He's a horse who wants to be left alone early in the race. We always thought a mile and a quarter was within his range. I think his last race, you can put a line through it."