Prime Cut a definite for Belmont

PRIME CUT (Bernstein), third in the Peter Pan S. (G2) and runner-up in the

Lexington S. (G3), will head to New York on Tuesday for a run in Saturday's

Belmont S. (G1) following a strong five-furlong work on Monday at Churchill

Downs.

Working in company with four-year-old stablemate Mine Train (Mineshaft),

Prime Cut covered the distance over a fast track in 1:01. Exercise rider Dane

Noel was in the irons as Prime Cut started two lengths behind his workmate and

finished on even terms after fractional splits of :25 and :37. Prime Cut

galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 1/5.

Trainer Neil Howard described the work as "excellent," and said it earned the

colt a trip to Belmont Park for Saturday's final jewel of the Triple Crown.

"We made the decision the other day that we'd go ahead and run, pending

everything going good through this week," Howard said. "He's doing good. We

don't feel like we've pushed or reached to much with him, and he's got a nice

prep over Belmont. So we kind of left it that we'd go ahead if everything went

well this morning, and it did."

The Belmont will be the sixth start of 2011 for Prime Cut, who has a record

of 1-2-2 in his previous five races this year. The lone win was an allowance

victory at Fair Grounds over Bind (Pulpit), but he was strong in stakes efforts

over Polytrack in Keeneland's Lexington, where he finished second to Derby

Kitten (Kitten's Joy), and over dirt at Belmont Park in the 1 1/8-mile Peter

Pan, where he finished 3 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Alternation

(Distorted Humor).

Edgar Prado will ride Prime Cut, whose career earnings stand at $123,685.

Prime Cut is scheduled to travel to Louisville International Airport on

Tuesday to board a flight to New York for the Belmont. Also scheduled for that

flight is Belmont S. contender SANTIVA (Giant's Causeway), who finished sixth in

the Kentucky Derby (G1) and won last fall's Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2).