Belmont Duo Please Stewart

Dallas Stewart is expected to saddle a pair of recent maiden winners for owner/breeder Charles Fipke in next Saturday's GI Belmont S. and the trainer said he was happy with how the two sophomores are training coming up to their stakes debuts. Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}) graduated in his third start going one mile at Churchill Downs May 29. That same afternoon, Forever d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) broke his maiden by a nose going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park. Forever d'Oro, a son of

GI Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever (Lemon Drop Kid), has remained at Belmont under the care of Stewart's assistant Bentley Combs since his maiden score and galloped 1 1/4 miles Sunday morning.

“Bentley said he was really good,” Stewart said Sunday from his Churchill base. “It was what we wanted, nothing fancy, just basic gallops right now. We're coming back in two weeks and we want a healthy and fit horse. Hopefully, we'll be able to maintain his fitness. Tomorrow or the next day, we'll probably pick it up in his distance, pick up his speed in the stretch just a little bit but that'll be about it.”

Seeking the Soul will ship to New York from Churchill Tuesday.

“I'm very happy with him,” Stewart said of Seeking the Soul. “He's a real tough individual. He loves to train and he's tough around the barn for sure, but he's looked great [since his race].”

Stewart's New York-bound contingent Tuesday will also include GI Ogden Phipps S. hopeful Forever Unbridled (Unbridled's Song) and GII Woody Stephens contender Tom's Ready (More Than Ready).

Also out of Lemons Forever, Forever Unbridled takes a three-race win streak into the Phipps, most recently taking the Apr. 15 GI Apple Blossom H. She worked five furlongs at Churchill Saturday in a bullet :59.00.

“[She went the] first half in :48 and finished out in [1:11],” Stewart said of Saturday's work. “I told the rider to pick it up a little at the eighth pole and she just quickened so fast. It was like she left the eighth pole and was at the wire by the time you could blink an eye.”

Tom's Ready, most recently 12th in the GI Kentucky Derby, worked four furlongs Saturday at Churchill in :49.20.

“Tom's Ready worked really nice yesterday,” Stewart confirmed. “We took the blinkers off and he looked good. We're contemplating whether we'll do that or not [for the race]. He's 'blinkers on' as of now, but I might take them off, we're thinking about it.”

In other Belmont news, trainer Christophe Clement reported Governor Malibu (Malibu Moon) came out of Friday's six-furlong work in fine shape. Runner-up in the May 14 GII Peter Pan S., the chestnut colt worked in 1:13.42.

“He's doing great,” said Clement, who won the 2014 Belmont with Tonalist (Tapit). “[He's] training forwardly and he had a nice work two days ago. The plan is to go to the Belmont with Joel Rosario aboard.”