Shortleaf Stable’s New Madrid, representing trainer
Tim Ice’s hope for a Belmont Stakes double, will prep for the 1 ½ mile race in
1 1/16th mile allowance race on the turf Saturday at Belmont Park.
The lightly raced son of Rock Hard Ten, 1-1-0 from four
starts, most recently was sixth in the Arkansas Derby on April 10.
“He’s doing great,” said Ice, who last year saddled Summer
Bird to victory in the Belmont, one of three Grade 1 races he won in New York.
“I want to get a race into him so he can move forward off it to the Belmont.
He’s coming off an easy five-eighths work [1:02.74 on May 8] but he’d had a
more serious move the week before.”
Although Summer Bird also was lightly campaigned heading
into last year’s Belmont, Ice doesn’t
see many parallels between the two colts.
“They’re two different horses,” he said. “Obviously, this
horse has a lot to prove, as did Summer Bird, but both have different styles
and mannerisms. I do think this horse has a lot of talent; he just has to put
it all together.”
Mike Luzzi will ride Saturday.