May 30 Belmont Works

'Verve' Puts in Final Belmont Breeze 

Charles Fipke homebred Tale of Verve (Tale of Ekati) hit the track early Saturday morning at Belmont for his final piece of work in preparation for next Saturday's GI Belmont S. The GI Preakness S. runner-up worked a best-of-23 five furlongs in :59.02 under exercise rider and jockey Kortez Walker. 

“He galloped out good and came back blowing, which is good because it means he got something out of it,” said trainer Dallas Stewart. “He came back great and looked awesome.” 

Tale of Verve finished second to Triple Crown hopeful American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Preakness off a 1 3/16-mile Keeneland maiden win at sixth asking Apr. 23. 

“I hope he has another step forward in him; that's what we're here for,” said Stewart, who saddled longshots Golden Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}) and Commanding Curve (Master Command) to runner-up efforts in the GI Kentucky Derby in 2013 and 2014, respectively. 

Stewart added, “It's in his breeding. He's a big horse and has a great stride, so hopefully it will add up. It's going to be a matter of stamina, and hopefully the best horse will win.”

FRAMMENTO TUNES UP FOR BELMONT 

Mossarosa's Frammento (Midshipman) breezed a best-of-60 half-mile in :48.15 over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Saturday in what will be his last work prior to a start in the GI Belmont S. June 6. The chestnut, who worked in company with 3-year-old maiden Hard Scuffle (Hard Spun), galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.37. 

“He looked great,” Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito said. “They got him in :12, :24, :48–you can't beat that. I even got him a little quicker, but that was OK. I'm happy. It was good.” 

Zito's assistant Maxine Correa, who is also Frammento's regular exercise rider, was equally pleased with the colt's breeze. 

“He felt great,” Correa said. “He started off real cool and relaxed and he picked it up at the quarter pole and flew home. He galloped out beautiful and finished up strong. He started off just behind a horse and stayed a little wide. He was happy to stay behind the horse until the quarter pole and as soon as I asked him to go, he kicked on. It was really good.” 

Zito knows a thing or two about spoiling Triple Crown bids with longshots having upset Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality) in 2004 with Birdstone (Grindstone) and Big Brown (Boundary) in 2008 with Da' Tara (Tiznow). The Hall of Famer feels his charge is more than ready to follow in those upsetters's hoofprints next week. 

“Last Saturday when he worked, he just kept going,” Zito said of the colt's half-mile breeze in :49.30 May 23. “Max [Correa] does a good job on him. He went pretty darn good last weekend, and this is what we wanted him to do today, just sharpen him up a little bit. He's over-ready.” 

The conditioner continued, “Everything is good. He's developed nice, he's held his flesh and he's held himself. He's doing everything right.” 

Frammento finished fourth to fellow Belmont contender Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) in the GI Blue Grass S. Apr. 4 and was 11th last time in the GI Kentucky Derby May 2 after drawing in off the also-eligible list. The flashy chestnut gains the services of Hall of Famer Mike Smith for next Saturday's “Test of a Champion.”

Another Work for Mubtaahij

G2 UAE Derby hero Mubtaahij (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) put in his third breeze this week in preparation for his second U.S. start in the GI Belmont S. June 6. The bay, who was originally scheduled to work on the turf, took to the Belmont main track early Saturday morning after the turf was declared too firm and clocked five furlongs in 1:01.05 (7/23). 

Trainer Mike DeKock's assistant Trevor Brown was quite pleased with the work and said the colt has taken more kindly to the Belmont surface than he did to Churchill's. 

After breezing five furlongs in 1:03.16 Sunday May 24 and three furlongs in :38.05 Wednesday May 27 prior to today's work, Mubtaahij will have an easy week leading up the Belmont. DeKock is expected to arrive in New York Monday to supervise his charge's final preparations. 

“We'll freshen him up now this week,” Brown said. “We've been pretty hard on him; that's our normal routine. Two weeks out we work him hard and the last week freshen him up, but he's going good and we're very happy with him.”