In the days leading up to the 157th running of the $2 million Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, the team at usracing.com is publishing profiles of the 3-year-olds in the field. Profiles will be updated with post positions and track odds following the June 2 draw.
No trainer has had more Belmont Stakes (G1) starters than Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, 39 at last count.
He’s had four winners (his first in 2007 with the filly Rags to Riches, Palace Malice in 2013, Tapwrit in 2017 and Mo Donegal in 2022), four third-place finishers and nine – nine! – runners-up, including last year’s heartbreaker when Mike Repole’s immensely talented and lightly raced Mindframe chose to take an untimely tour of the stretch at Saratoga to lose the lead and finish a half-length behind 17-1 Dornoch.
Could he be taking the same route this year with Crudo, hopefully with a different outcome for owners Bobby Flay and James Ventura?
While Mindframe had but a maiden and an allowance win on his on his resume prior to the Belmont, Crudo has him beat in that respect. He’s had a total of three lifetime starts, including a front-running 7 ½-length stakes victory in the Sir Barton Stakes on Preakness Day and a 7¼-length maiden victory at second asking on April 19 at Keeneland.
The less said about his debut at Gulfstream Park, the better. Sent off at 4-5 at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 8, the son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify stumbled at the start, was bumped, raced three-wide, stuck a head in front in the stretch, and weakened to finish fourth, beaten 7¼ lengths.
“We were a little disappointed in his debut because he had trained lights out,” Pletcher said after the Sir Barton. “He came out of that race with some minor issues that we had to address, and once he came back, he has trained dynamite.”
The colt looked solid in his final pre-Belmont move, breezing 4 furlongs in company with Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) contender Gate to Wire Sunday morning (June 1) over the Spa’s Oklahoma training track.
NYRA clockers caught him breaking off about a length behind, ticking off fractions of: 12 4/5 and: 24 4/5, hitting the wire in: 48.86, galloping out in front of his work partner in 1:01 3/5 and up in 1:14 3/5.
“I thought it was an excellent move,” said Pletcher. “He worked really well, galloped out nicely. I was very pleased with him. He’s had a good couple of weeks since he ran.”
Can Crudo crack the top three from the Kentucky Derby in just his fourth start? He’s got the three ingredients Pletcher deems most important in the race: rest, training, and classic pedigree. Leave him out of your exotics at your own peril.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
