Tale of Ekati, Ready's Echo work for the Belmont

Tale of Ekati finally put in a Tagg-approved work Sunday (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com)

TALE OF EKATI (Tale of the Cat), winner of the Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct on

April 5, breezed six

furlongs in 1:11 4/5 on the muddy main track at Belmont Park Sunday morning. After two works that were less than what trainer Barclay Tagg had hoped

for, Tale of Ekati finally got the move he needed to set him up for a return

match against Triple Crown hopeful BIG BROWN (Boundary) in Saturday's 140th running of the

$1 million Belmont S. (G1).

Tagg, who five years ago guided New York-bred Funny Cide to victories in the

Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness S. (G1), was less than happy with Tale of Ekati's bullet

half-mile of :46 4/5 on May 20 and completely disgusted with the colt's

six-furlong move of 1:18 4/5 on May 26 under jockey Eibar Coa.

"This was the move I was hoping for last week," Tagg said. "Now, you can only

hope that it wasn't too much for him. Everything seems to be going well now, and

we're back on schedule."

In the Wood Memorial, Tale of Ekati stalked 2007 juvenile champion War Pass

(Cherokee Run) and then powered to the victory in the lane. He finished fourth

by 11 lengths in the Kentucky Derby last out after a troubled trip, in which he

was steadied early.

"The Belmont is a tough race, and Big Brown is a tough horse," Tagg said.

"But if you've got a horse that is doing well, you have to take a chance. We're

back on schedule today, and this horse loves Belmont Park (two-for-two). I hope he

runs his race."

Ready's Echo (inside) will attempt to give Pletcher back-to-back Belmont wins (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

READY'S ECHO (More Than Ready) also took to the track Sunday morning, working five furlongs over the fast training track in 1:00

4/5, and is on target for the Belmont.

"We're very happy with the way he went," said trainer Todd Pletcher, who won last year's

Belmont with Rags to Riches, the first filly to win the race in 102 years.

Pletcher said a rider had not yet been determined for the Peter Pan S. (G2)

third-placer, who sports a record of one victory, two seconds and one third from

four starts.

Big Brown went out for his usual gallop Sunday morning around the Belmont

Park oval under exercise rider Michelle Nevin, drawing applause from the

"Breakfast at Belmont" crowd as he passed by the grandstand.

"He was very cheeky," Nevin reported. "He had a basic gallop again today. He

felt good. He knows something is going on because all these people are around

him all the time, clapping for him in the grandstand."

Nevin confirmed that Big Brown will have an acrylic and fiberglass patch

placed on the small quarter-crack on his left front foot Monday, and that he

is scheduled to breeze on Tuesday morning.

Casino Drive will try to be this year's Triple Crown spoiler (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

CASINO DRIVE (Mineshaft), Spark Candle (A.P. Indy) and Champagne Squall (Ire)

(Daylami [Ire]), working in company,

cruised by with Casino Drive eventually overtaking his workmates and setting

himself up for the Belmont.

"We got him in 1:10 and 3," joked Nobutaka Tada, spokesman for owner

Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. "No, I am sure it was much slower

and probably not what Americans are used to. But we are very happy with the way

Casino Drive is coming along and how he is stretching out. We look forward to

the Belmont Stakes."

Casino Drive is a son of the Deputy Minister mare Better Than Honour, making

him a half-brother to 2006 Belmont winner Jazil (Seeking the Gold) and a

three-quarter brother to 2007 Belmont queen Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy). Casino Drive's sire is

2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, a son of A.P. Indy.

After arriving at Belmont Park April 30, Casino Drive won the nine-furlong

Peter Pan on May 10 by 5 3/4 lengths in a professional time of 1:47 4/5. He has

trained in a different manner from other horses in this

country, walking vigorously through the barn area every day for about an hour,

then going to the track, and then walking for another hour.

An unspecified "reaction" will keep Tomcito in the barn on Belmont Day (Joseph DiOrio/Horsephotos.com)

In other Belmont news:

TOMCITO (Street Cry [Ire]), who was third to Big Brown in the Florida Derby

(G1) and seventh to

Casino Drive in the Peter Pan, will not start in the Belmont, according

to trainer Dante Zanelli.

The conditioner said the multiple Peruvian Group 1 winner was suffering from a "reaction" but did

not specify what caused it.

"It's very depressing," he said.

Southwest S. (G3) winner DENIS OF CORK (Harlan's Holiday), third in

the Kentucky Derby last out, is scheduled to work Monday at Churchill

Downs to complete his serious preparation for a rematch with Big Brown

in the Belmont. Trainer David Carroll said his charge would take to the

track and work four furlongs just after the renovation break under

jockey Robby Albarado, who has the call for the Belmont.

"It's nothing major, just a final stretch of the legs, so to speak,"

Carroll explained. "I've been very happy with him. The weather's been

good, the track's been good and he seems to be on course."

Denis of Cork will travel to New York by plane on Tuesday, along with

fellow Belmont hopeful MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno), who captured the Derby

Trial S. prior to running second in the Preakness.