Final preparations underway for Belmont contenders

Charitable Man exudes confidence at Belmont (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin expressed confidence in CHARITABLE MAN (Lemon Drop

Kid) ahead of Saturday's Belmont S. (G1) but declined to predict a victory for

the 3-1 second choice on the morning-line in the 1 1/2-mile Classic.

"I'm confident I have a horse who's doing great," said the trainer, who

saddled Jazil to win the 2006 Belmont Stakes. "I'm not that type to predict a

horse is going to win. But I am confident we couldn't have him any better. None

of these horses have the mile-and-a-half yet, only in a morning gallop."

Charitable Man won both his starts at age two and then made a late sophomore

debut after recovering from a saucer fracture in his left shin, finishing

seventh in the Blue Grass S. (G1) while making his synthetic track bow on

Keeneland's Polytrack. He followed that with a rousing victory in the Peter Pan

S. (G2) on May 9.

"We weren't battled tested (enough) to go to the Derby -- he'd had just three

races, it's a 20-horse field and there's a lot of pounding into the first turn,"

said McLaughlin, who will give a leg up to Alan Garcia, winner of last year's

Belmont aboard Da' Tara. "The talent was there, he had always trained well and

run well."

Dunkirk appears to have taken a laid-back attitude toward all the Belmont hype (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com)

DUNKIRK (Unbridled's Song), third choice on the morning line behind Mine That

Bird (Birdstone) and Charitable Man at 4-1, walked through the paddock Friday

morning and galloped 1 1/4 miles on the main track before returning safely to

trainer Todd Pletcher's barn.

"I anticipate Charitable Man and Miner's Escape being forwardly placed,"

Pletcher said when asked how he thought the race would unfold. "Hopefully, we're

in a stalking position. I expect they'll be more closely grouped than the other

(Triple Crown) races because the pace won't be as fast. And hopefully, we'll be

the first one to put pressure on Charitable Man. I'll leave that to (jockey)

Johnny Velazquez, and to also be cognizant of the favorite coming from behind."

Pletcher and McLaughlin are close friends, but don't let their friendship get

in the way of business, or vice versa, he said.

"It's part of what we do," said Pletcher. "It goes without saying we both

want to win the race. If I can't win, I hope he does. And when it's all over, we

shake hands, congratulate one another, and go back to work."

SUMMER BIRD (Birdstone) galloped 1 1/2 miles over the main track Friday

morning.

"He skipped over it pretty easy," said Tim Ice, who trains the chestnut colt,

sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1), for Drs. Kalarikkal and Vilasini Jayaraman.

The talented Summer Bird took a bath and smiled for the camera at the same time (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com)

"If there's a slow pace, we'll be up a little closer," he said. "I think he's

a fresh horse and will have more speed to get into the race a little earlier.

I'm hoping for an honest pace to give him something to run at."

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux will be aboard Summer Bird in what will

be his fifth lifetime start.

"We'll talk in the paddock before the race," said Ice. "Kent knows his style.

He knows he'll run all day long."

Trainer Eoin Harty sent MR. HOT STUFF (Tiznow) who was 15th in the Kentucky

Derby in his first start on dirt, out for his first gallop over Belmont Park's

main track Friday morning.

"He actually handled it very well, but he wasn't surrounded by nine other

horses," Harty said.

Thursday, Mr. Hot Stuff went out on the training track, and Harty had been

hoping the rain would cease this morning. Instead, it rained even harder than it

did Thursday.

"It must be retribution for my past sins," he said, "so I expect a flood of

epic proportions."

Mr. Hot Stuff looks eager to take on his Belmont rivals (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

"I think the best horse will win, but who that will be, I don't know," the

trainer said. "Right now I'd say Charitable Man or Mine That Bird.

"People always analyze these races and it never pans out that way," he added.

"I think Kiaran's horse will be on or close to the lead, but I don't think

they'll be stretched out too far. It all depends on the pace -- I can't see them

going 46 and change."

Hall of Fame trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito, who will saddle a

combined four of the horses in the Belmont, were among the featured speakers

this morning at a Belmont Park memorial service for Joe Hirsch, the executive

columnist of the Daily Racing Form who passed away on January 9.

Before joining master of ceremonies Steve Crist, columnist and publisher of

Daily Racing Form, and Charles Hayward, president and chief executive

officer of The New York Racing Association (NYRA), retired Hall of Fame jockey

and television racing analyst Jerry Bailey, and Jay Hovdey, DRF's

executive columnist, among others, as speakers, Lukas and Zito tended to their

Belmont runners as rain drenched Belmont Park.

Brave Victory will try to improve off his third in the Peter Pan last out (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

Although his barn features an indoor gallop, Zito brought MINER'S ESCAPE

(Mineshaft) and BRAVE VICTORY (Lion Heart) to the main track as well.

"We stood them in the gate earlier this week, so they just had a gallop and

we're looking forward to the Belmont," Zito said. "They're happy and healthy and

we just hope they run their races tomorrow."

Miner's Escape will break from post 9 under jockey Jose Lezcano, while Brave

Victory drew the outside post 10 under Rajiv Maragh. Both are listed at 15-1 on

the morning line.

The rain failed to disrupt trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's routine for CHOCOLATE

CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]), who ran fifth in the Kentucky Derby and looks for

better results in the Belmont Stakes.

"We brought him through the tunnel and into the paddock and let him school

there, and then we brought him out on the main track and let him gallop, which

is what we've pretty much been doing," Hollendorfer said. "He's ready to go."

Chocolate Candy was beaten 13 lengths in the Kentucky Derby, but Hollendorfer

is expecting improvement in the Belmont Stakes.

"Not to make excuses, but after watching the Derby, he got off a step slow

and then was squeezed," Hollendorfer said. "Then, he was squeezed again and that

put him out of position. (Jockey Mike Smith) then had to use him to get

position, and it eventually caught up with him.