Thursday's Belmont Stakes Report

ELMONT, NY – A fairly empty outer rail by the clubhouse turn for morning workouts two days out from the GI Belmont S.? A stiff wind combined with an unseasonably chilly temperature of 55 degrees certainly didn't help matters much, but without a Triple Crown on the line for the first time in three years, the lack of mainstream media and local television crews on hand in the a.m. has made for a rather unfamiliar scene this week despite a spectacular day of racing on tap for Saturday.

Just as they've done all week, Belmont S. runners Governor Malibu (Malibu Moon), Lani (Tapit) and Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft) were in action on the main oval between 6-7 a.m. Governor Malibu, drawn on the fence in the main event, blew out four furlongs in :52 2/5 in trainer Christophe Clement's first set. Lani's 30-minute stay on the track included a trip to the starting gate a day after registering a sharp five-furlong workout. Suddenbreakingnews' morning included a routine gallop and a tour of the paddock.

Charles Fipke homebred Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}), a narrow maiden winner going a one-turn mile at Churchill May 29, came out on the track with a pony around 7:15 a.m. while Belmont's massive infield was also open for training. Other than bobbling a bit past the wire when it was time to turn around and head back through the tunnel following his gallop, the lightly raced bay seemed to handle everything else right in stride.

Creator (Tapit) made a very nice impression during his gallop about 10 minutes later on the main track. Nothing new there though as the handsome gray looked dynamite all week prior to his unlucky 13th-place finish in the GI Kentucky Derby. He certainly has the pedigree on the female side of his family to get the 1 1/2-mile distance.

Bill Nader, a very familiar face in these parts as a longtime former senior vice president and chief operating officer at NYRA, was spotted walking through the apron during the renovation break. Nader left his post at the Hong Kong Jockey Club earlier this year.

The controversial scratch of Private Zone (Macho Uno) in the GII True North S. and trainer Brian Lynch's marijuana drug test positive were a very popular topic of discussion throughout the morning, including several off-color punchlines–think brownies–from those taking in the action from Belmont's Champagne Room.

Back to business. The Preakness runner-up Cherry Wine (Paddy O'Prado) was one of the first to step foot on the freshly harrowed surface at 8:45 a.m. The press and photographers that were on hand got a much closer look of Trojan Nation (Street Cry {Ire}) than they were probably hoping for. The hooded maiden of seven career starts was more than a handful for his exercise rider while jogging the outer rail, but eventually settled into a good rhythm once he began his gallop.

With word spreading that trainer Todd Pletcher was sending Stradivari (Medaglia d'Oro) to gallop on the nearby training track, it was worth a quick ride through Belmont's scenic backstretch to get a closer look at the striking bay. Out with a set including MGISW Curalina (Curlin), Stradivari served notice with a visually impressive gallop as the bright sun provided a bit of relief from the blustery conditions.

Curalina, an impressive heroine of last term's Acorn S. on the Belmont undercard after getting squeezed at the start, looks to be thriving as well as she heads to a loaded renewal of Saturday's GI Ogden Phipps S. Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing's Randy Gullatt were both on hand to watch. The duo, of course, will be represented by Destin (Giant's Causeway) in the Belmont.

With training hours beginning to wind down, an outrider made the catch of day, quickly securing a riderless horse that was motoring the wrong away down the stretch of the training track. Hats off to a job very well done.

While it was a typical Thursday morning for Exaggerator (Curlin) back in Barn 29 walking the shedrow, the GI Preakness S. hero put on a show in the paddock before the day's sixth race as the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival was officially off and running.