Belmont Stakes 2017: Senior Investment Should Relish Distance

Trainer Kenny McPeek was on hand Monday morning at Belmont Park as Fern Circle Stable's Grade 3 Lexington winner and Belmont Stakes 2017 contender Senior Investment got back to the track following a routine walk day on Sunday.

Senior Investment, who hit the board with a third-place finish at 31-1 in the Preakness, is scheduled to turn in his final breeze for the Belmont Stakes Tuesday morning, said McPeek, who saddled Sarava to a 70-1 upset of the 2002 Belmont Stakes.

"He looks good, he had a nice gallop this morning," he said. "I'm probably going to work him just an easy half tomorrow. It's a similar routine that worked for us with Sarava."

Senior Investment, a chestnut colt by Discreetly Mine, will be McPeek's sixth Belmont starter, and the first for Fern Circle Stable and jockey Channing Hill.

"Anytime you can position yourself to where you've got a chance in one of these big races, it's exciting," McPeek said. "It's not easy, but he's a good horse and he's improving. I think he'll handle the distance really, really well. We're going to fire away.

"On the gallop-out in the Preakness, he made up even more [ground on the leaders] and that's kind of his style," he added. "The hard part in this race will be how the pace unfolds and whether it works for him or against him, but he's a horse that will keep going and going, and hopefully he can outgallop them."

Source: NYRA