By Ben Massam
Multiple Grade I-winning sprinter Private Zone (Macho Uno), forced to scratch out of the GII True North S. June 10, will remain in New York with the goal of defending his title in the GIII Belmont Sprint Championship July 9, trainer Brian Lynch revealed Thursday. The gelding was scheduled to make his first start of 2016 in the True North, but never reached the starting gate after a much talked about ruling from the New York State Gaming Commission forced Lynch to surrender his trainer's license when a random drug test found THC (a chemical associated with marijuana) in his system.
“He'll go to the Belmont Sprint Championship S. on the first week in July,” Lynch said over the phone Thursday afternoon. “I sure hope [he'll be ready].”
Lynch's New York string has been turned over to assistant trainer Erin Cotterill for the time being, but Lynch said he is hopeful that he will be reinstated in time for Private Zone's race. Cotterill has three entries in New York over the weekend, including Grade I winner Grand Arch (Arch) in Saturday's GIII Poker S. Lynch, meanwhile, is still permitted to race in other jurisdictions and has four entries between Saturday and Sunday at Woodbine.
Private Zone notched the fourth Grade I success of his career in the Forego S. at Saratoga and ran second in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint for trainer Jorge Navarro in 2015. The bay was subsequently transferred to Lynch and finished fifth in the GI Cigar Mile Nov. 28–his most recent start.
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