Gitano Hernando Will Prep for Belmont Stakes Next
Barry Irwin of Team Valor International said that Gitano Hernando (GB) will make his American debut in the 141st running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 6. The 1½-mile Belmont Stakes for three-year-olds, “The Test of the Champion,” is the oldest and longest of the Triple Crown races.
The son of Hernando, runner-up in today’s Group 3 Addleshaw Goddard Dee Stakes at Chester Race Course in England, has never run on dirt but is scheduled to breeze several times over sand before shipping to New York.
Gitano Hernando is trained by Marco Botti, a former jockey and son of noted Italian trainer Alduino Botti, for whom he worked as an assistant for three years. Marco Botti has also worked in Dubai for Godolphin Stable, in Europe for trainers Ed Dunlop and Luca Cumani, and in America for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
The Hernando colt was a neck behind regally bred South Easter, a son of Galileo, in the one mile, two furlong and 75-yard Dee after a lengthy inquiry.
Said Irwin: “(In today’s race, Gitano Hernando) was sawed off going into the first turn and our rider lodged an objection, which was not allowed. However, the winning rider (Neil Callan) was handed a two-day suspension for careless riding and a two-day suspension for improper use of the whip.
“We chose the Dee because it was used by My Memoirs before he ran second to [eventual Horse of the Year] A. P. Indy in the 1992 Belmont. The colt has never run on dirt, but he will breeze at least twice in the next three weeks on the sand at Lingfield Race Course outside of London.”
Gitano Hernando is now 2-2-0 from five starts. He was bought by Team Valor International after breaking his maiden on an all-weather track at Wolverhampton in his third start as a two-year-old. He has run twice for Team Valor, winning a handicap at Doncaster on March 29 in his three-year-old debut.