Prime Cut, third in the Grade 2 Peter Pan at Belmont Park on May 14,
departed trainer Neil Howard’s Churchill Downs barn just before 11 a.m. this
morning for a flight to New York and was to arrive at Belmont Park later in the
afternoon.
“He worked Monday [1:01] so he’ll
jog 1 ¼ miles Wednesday and then gallop Thursday and Friday,” said Howard, who
said he will likely arrive in New York the morning of the Belmont Stakes.
“He’ll probably school in the paddock on Thursday.”
It will have been 11 years since
Howard, a native New Yorker, saddled a horse in the Belmont Stakes, having
finished fourth with Parade Ground in 1998.
“The 1 ½ miles is a tall order, not
just for us but for everyone,” said Howard. “Our colt is a very nice colt with
a great demeanor. I think one of his strengths is his stamina; the 1 ½ miles
could wind up favoring him.”
Howard said he thought the horses to
beat were the “obvious” ones.
“Both Animal Kingdom and Shackleford
looked magnificent in the Preakness,” he said. “There’s everything to like
about them, and I think Nehro is going to be a factor. It’s a tough race from
top to bottom.”