Pletcher reminisces on past Belmont victories

On the eve of the 147th Belmont S. (G1), Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky) and

Materiality's (Afleet Alex) trainer, Todd Pletcher, reflected on the two horses, Rags to

Riches (A.P. Indy) and Palace Malice (Curlin), that brought him into the winner's circle following

"The Test of the Champion."

The filly Rags to Riches was responsible for Pletcher's

first classic win in the 2007 Belmont. The stretch-long battle produced that day

by Rags to Riches and eventual runner-up Curlin was one of the most

electrifying in the history of the Belmont Stakes, or any race for that matter.

Just a head separated the warriors at the finish of the 1 1/2-mile race.

The decision to run Rags

to Riches -- whose half-brother, Jazil, won the Belmont Stakes a year before for

different connections -- was not one taken lightly by Pletcher. The three-year-old

crop of 2007 was one of the best in years. Among the filly's rivals was Kentucky

Derby (G1) winner Street Sense and Preakness S. (G1) victor Curlin. Hard Spun, second in the

Derby and third in the Preakness, was also part of the seven-horse field.

With his heart in his throat, Pletcher watched Rags to

Riches, who was ridden by John Velazquez, stumble sharply coming out the

starting gate. In that moment, the conditioner believed the Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner

had lost all chance.

"After spending a lot of time thinking about it she fell on

her head at the start, and I thought, 'Great, all this thought goes into whether

we are doing the right thing or not, and the race is over in the first stride.'

Then when she was able to recover and put herself in position, it was like, this

can really happen."

In 2013, Pletcher won the Belmont with Palace Malice for

Dogwood Stable, the popular syndicate group headed by Cot Campbell who was one

of the trainer's first clients when he launched his career in December of 1995.

"I got a lot of enjoyment out of Palace Malice winning

because of the connections and I knew how much it meant to them," Pletcher said.

"Palace Malice was a horse we felt was at the top level, but I don't think

anybody else really did because he hadn't really done anything to prove it at

that point. So that made it gratifying."

Both Madefromlucky and Materiality galloped on the training

track Friday morning. They will both walk the shedrow on race day, the trainer

said.

In another note from the Pletcher barn, the trainer said

that Tonasah (Malibu Moon), who unseated rider Javier Castellano before the running of

Thursday's Astoria S. and was scratched, escaped injury following her

nearly 10-minute riderless romp around Belmont's main track. Castellano was

uninjured.

If trainer Kiaran McLaughlin's Frosted (Tapit) upsets American Pharoah (Pioneerof

the Nile) in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, it won't come as much of a surprise to those who follow

racing beyond the Triple Crown series.

Putting aside Frosted's merits, McLaughlin is currently one

of the hottest trainers in the country, winning at a staggering 35 percent clip

over the past three months. The run has been so good that after four-year-old

filly Easy Living (Big Brown) notched a particularly fortuitous win, McLaughlin's assistant, Art Magnuson,

quipped to the Kentucky-born trainer that they should enter the barn's pony in a

race. During the same win, Easy Living's groom, thinking she was beaten, changed

the channel and didn't find out until the next day that she had won.

"We've had a great run. There's always a few surprises, a

few photo finishes that you get lucky and win, but we've been on an unusually

good run," McLaughlin admitted. "The thing is we were pointing for races in the

spring, both at Keeneland and in New York, and it's nice that the races were

going. When you can point for races, and don't have to say, 'Let's hurry up and

run this one,' you often bat at a higher batting average."

Preakness runner-up Tale of Verve (Tale of Ekati) also went out for his final

gallop on the Belmont main track Friday morning.

The bay colt, who enters the Belmont with only a maiden win

to his credit, has impressed trainer Dallas Stewart since arriving in New

York.

"He's trained great," said Stewart, who finished second in

a Triple Crown race for the third consecutive year. "He's good and healthy,

knock on wood, now we just have to go over there and run."

Tale of Verve finished seven

lengths behind American Pharoah in the Preakness over a sloppy track at Pimlico.

The 1 1/2-mile distance of the Belmont will be crucial to turning the tables on

the Triple Crown aspirant, according to Stewart.

"(American Pharoah) always looks great; he's wonderful to

watch train. We just have to go out and flat out-run him. That's what it comes

down to," Stewart stated. "I've always felt (Tale of Verve) wanted to go long. The

distance should be fine."