Mubtaahij putting in work ahead of Belmont Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Mubtaahij has been in New York for less than a week, but he’s already gotten a lot done as he prepares for the June 6 Belmont Stakes.

On Sunday, Mubtaahij worked five furlongs in company on the Belmont turf course, timed in 1:01.11. On Wednesday, the Irish-bred colt, who finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby, went out for a spin over Belmont’s main track, working a sharp three-furlongs in 36.02 seconds. He galloped out four furlongs in 47.88 seconds and pulled up five-eighths in 1:02.94. “That’s normal for us,” Trevor Brown, the assistant to trainer Michael de Kock, said of the work schedule. “He handles it.”

Mubtaahij certainly handled Belmont’s main track Wednesday. He broke off at the three-eighths pole and went a slow first eighth in 13.19 seconds before turning it on in the stretch and going from the quarter pole to the wire in 22.83. He then went an additional eighth in 11.86 seconds. Both Brown and Lisa Moncrieff, who was aboard Mubtaahij on Wednesday, said Mubtaahij prefers Belmont’s surface to that of Churchill Downs. “I’m not trying to knock Churchill, I’m just saying he does move better over this ground than he did at Churchill,” Brown said.

At Churchill, Mubtaahij often came through the stretch on his incorrect lead. During his workout Wednesday, he was on the correct lead. “I think he’s getting used to it,” Brown said. “We don’t really emphasize it back home. Our training tracks back home, the majority of them are just straight. In a race, our guys basically leave it up to the horse. Most of them do correct themselves in a race. But I think he’s getting used to this whole left-handed thing.”

Mubtaahij has been training in front shoes but no hinds since he arrived at Belmont last Friday. He did not wear shoes while training at Churchill. He wore shoes on all four feet in the Derby and will do so again in the Belmont. Mubtaahij raced without the anti-bleeding medication Lasix in the Derby and will do so again in the Belmont, Brown said. “We’re not totally against it, but if they don’t bleed, we’re not going to give it,” Brown said. “I’m sure if we had a known bleeder and we came over here, we’d use it.”

Brown said a rider has not been finalized for Mubtaahij. Christophe Soumillon rode him in the Derby and is a candidate to ride him in the Belmont. It is also possible that a U.S.-based rider could pick up the mount. Brown said Mubtaahij will work again over the weekend on the dirt and in company with his stablemate Umgiyo.