Chekhov works; Afleet Alex gallops

Afleet Alex will likely go postward as the favorite for this year's Belmont (Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) CHEKHOV (Pulpit) breezed five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 over a fast training track at Saratoga on Monday. The Patrick Biancone trainee is expected to face 10 opponents, including Preakness S. (G1) winner AFLEET ALEX (Northern Afleet) and Kentucky Derby (G1) winner GIACOMO (Holy Bull), in Saturday's 137th running of the Belmont S. (G1). "We wanted him to increase his speed as he worked," said Biancone, who added the colt actually went a little farther. "We wanted him to increase his speed as he went along. After all, you know he is going a mile and a half Saturday." In his most recent start, Chekhov advanced four wide around the far turn before finishing fourth as the 3-2 favorite in the May 28 Peter Pan S. (G2). Prior to that, the bay colt rolled to an 8 1/4-length victory over maiden special weight rivals at Belmont Park, running 8 1/2 furlongs in 1:41 1/5. Chekhov is scheduled to van to Belmont Park Saturday morning. Gary Stevens has the call. Afleet Alex had two training sessions on Monday. The probable Belmont favorite jogged a mile and a half, then returned later in the morning and galloped twice around the massive 1 1/2-mile Belmont main track, finishing the last mile in a two-minute lick, according to trainer Tim Ritchey. "He basically warmed up early and then galloped around twice," Ritchey said. "The second time was just kind of an open gallop to let him stretch his legs a little. He just needed to do a little acceleration, which he did. The second time around was close to a two-minute clip for probably close to a mile." All told, Afleet Alex put in about 4 1/2 miles of exercise just five days before the final jewel of the Triple Crown. The New York region has warmed up significantly in the last few days and temperatures are expected to remain in the 80s throughout the week. Ritchey does not envision the heat being a problem for Afleet Alex.

"It's a little hotter than I anticipated it being," Ritchey said. "We just

have to make sure he's got some cold water on him and we get some fluids into

him. The heat's always a concern, but he's never been a horse that the heat has

bothered. He ran in the summer months at Delaware and Saratoga. As long as he

drinks enough fluids, I don't see the heat being a problem."

Ritchey said Afleet Alex would train early in the mornings leading up to the

Belmont.

"He'll go out early because of the heat," Ritchey said. "Tomorrow, he'll

probably just jog once around just to recuperate from today."

Jockey Jeremy Rose, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice in 2001, is

scheduled to ride throughout the week at Belmont to get a feel for the unique 1

1/2-mile oval.

"Jeremy is going to ride Wednesday, Thursday, Friday as many mounts as he can

get just to get experience over this racetrack because it's so much bigger,"

Ritchey said. "On a mile track, when you switch leads going into the turn, you

want to put your horse in the race a little bit. Well, here you want to switch

leads, but you want to relax for a little while longer until at least halfway around

the turn, if not the quarter-pole.

"The more he rides over this track, even if it's only going three-quarters of

a mile, the more he's aware of how big and sweeping these turns are and how far

it is from the point of that turn to the wire will help him immensely."

In last year's Belmont, jockey Stewart Elliott received criticism for his ride

aboard Smarty Jones. He did not ride at the Long Island track

during the week and had only one other mount on the Belmont Stakes Day card

before finishing second to Birdstone and losing the Triple Crown.

Trainer Patrick Reynolds plans to work WATCHMON (Maria's Mon) on Tuesday. The

gray colt will breeze either five or six furlongs under jockey Javier Castellano,

who will ride Watchmon in the Belmont.

"We'll be in there like James Braddock," said Reynolds, referring to the Hall

of Fame boxer whose career has been portrayed in the movie Cinderella Man.

"We'll be fighting every round. He's a good horse and good horses have that

advantage that they always try. If circumstances fall in your favor you can get

lucky."

Peter Pan runner-up REVERBERATE (Thunder Gulch) is on target for the Belmont,

according to trainer Sal Russo, who continues to nurse a case of the flu. Jose

Santos has the mount.

NOLAN'S CAT (Catienus), the maiden who is running in the Belmont, is still

without a jockey. Trainer Dale Romans said a decision on a rider would be made

Monday afternoon.

Nolan's Cat finished second by a half-length to Belmont probable A. P.

ARROW (A.P. Indy) in a 1 1/4-mile maiden race at Churchill Downs on May 14. He

is scheduled to ship from Kentucky to New York on Wednesday.

Trainer John Shirreffs said Derby hero Giacomo, who finished third in the

Preakness, came out of his six-furlong breeze in 1:14 4/5 at Hollywood Park on

Sunday in good order.

"He came out of his work very well," Shirreffs said. "He just had his walk

day today."

Giacomo is scheduled to ship from California to New York on Wednesday.

"He'll probably leave the barn around one or two in the morning Wednesday,"

Shirreffs said. "The flight stops in Kentucky, so he should be in town Wednesday

afternoon."

Shirreffs is slated to arrive in New York Tuesday night.

Trainer Mike Puhich said Lone Star Derby (G3) winner SOUTHERN AFRICA (Cape

Town) came out of his six-furlong breeze in 1:13 at Arlington Park on Sunday in

good shape. The dark bay colt will van from Chicago to Louisville on Wednesday

and then board a plane carrying Belmont runners.

ANDROMEDA'S HERO (Fusaichi Pegasus), PINPOINT (Peaks and Valleys) and INDY

STORM (A.P. Indy) all galloped at Saratoga on Monday. The Nick Zito-trained trio

will van to Belmont Park on Wednesday. They will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano,

John Velazquez and Edgar Prado, respectively.

In other Belmont news:

All Belmont Stakes horses are supposed to be on the grounds by noon Friday

and will have a security detail assigned to them.

Horses racing in any of the six graded stakes will move into security barns 8 and 23 on

Saturday morning. After entries are drawn on Wednesday, arrangements will be

finalized for the remaining races.

"It is our goal to have the participants of all 13 races on Belmont day move

into the security barns," said NYRA Racing Secretary Mike Lakow. "After entries

are drawn on Wednesday, we will know the exact number of horses that we will

need to accommodate and we will then implement the appropriate plan."

In a related development, the recent "strangles" threat is under control and

all of the horses stabled in barn 60 have been cleared to train with the general

horse population.