Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan has been entered for the June 8 Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course by trainer Kenny McPeek following his June 1 workout.
After completing five furlongs in 1:01.59, McPeek was pleased with the progress made by the son of Goldencents following a runner-up effort in the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1)
“It was just a maintenance work, nothing complicated,” McPeek said. “He did it well. We just checked some small details and made the entry this morning.”
Those small details included blood work, which McPeek said was returned normal—a regular step for McPeek trainees prior to an entry.
With Mystik Dan’s Belmont entry, stablemate and Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Thorpedo Anna will remain against fillies and start in the June 7 Acorn Stakes (G1) rather than taking a shot against the colts.
“Better than average for sure,” McPeek said of her Acorn chances. “She’s doing super.”
Mystik Dan will be the first horse to compete in all three Triple Crown jewels since Max Player in 2020. Max Player had the benefit of a lengthened 15-week schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Preakness winner War of Will was the last to race the full series in its normal five-week time span in 2019. War of Will finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby and ninth in the Belmont.
McPeek credits a fantastic team for their great care of the Derby winner to get him prepared for each step of his Triple Crown journey and to keep him healthy and happy throughout. McPeek’s teams in Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, and now New York have all played a role.
“Of course logistically, it’s not easy,” McPeek said. “You’ve got to have good people on all bases.”
Mystik Dan will also be the first Derby winner since Orb in 2013 to run in the Belmont after losing the Preakness, which sets up the first Derby/Preakness winner rubber match in the Belmont since Oxbow challenged Orb. Oxbow came out on top, finishing second to Palace Malice while Orb finished third.
Mystik Dan’s Preakness winner rival, Seize the Grey , arrived at Saratoga Saturday evening after a long van ride from his Churchill Downs base in Louisville, Ky.
Seize the Grey and trainer D. Wayne Lukas settle in at Saratoga ahead of the Belmont Stakes
Resilience Breezes Ahead of Belmont
Wood Memorial (G2) winner Resilience worked a half mile Sunday in advance of a potential start in the Belmont.
Earlier in the week, trainer Bill Mott put the son of Into Mischief back into Belmont consideration following the May 4 Kentucky Derby where he loomed a threat entering the stretch before fading to sixth. The decision was to be made depending on how he performed his Sunday breeze, his second since the Derby. Based off the breeze, it would appear Resilience’s form will likely be in the entry box.
Working in blinkers outside of 3-year-old listed stakes-placed stablemate Billal , Resilience clocked :48 for his four-furlong work, the second fastest of 30 breezes over Saratoga’s Oklahoma Training Track.
New York Racing Association’s Keith McCalmont posted a quote from Mott on X that read, “It was very, very good. The time was good and he did it the right way. We intentionally wanted him to go out a bit around the turn after the work, which he did.”
Post positions for the Belmont Stakes will be drawn June 3 at 5 p.m. ET.
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