Blended Citizen well rested and ready for Belmont Stakes

by NYRA Press Office

Greg Hall, SAYJAY Racing and Brooke Hubbard’s Grade 3 Peter Pan winner Blended Citizen returned to Belmont Park’s main track early Thursday morning and galloped his standard 1 ½ miles in preparation for Saturday’s Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

The long-striding colt by Proud Citizen was unfazed as a crew removed a huge branch which fell outside barn 17 before training hours. According to trainer Doug O’Neill’s security, Marvin Bostock, while the others stared out of their stalls in curiosity, Blended Citizen used the opportunity to catch up on some rest, and slept through the noise from chainsaws.

“They say the great ones sleep a lot, and if that’s true, he’d be the greatest,” Bostock said.

The Belmont Stakes will be the fifth start this year for Blended Citizen, who was scratched as an also-eligible for the Kentucky Derby after falling short in qualifying points. Third in the February 17 El Camino Real Derby, the colt returned with blinkers and won the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park before running fifth in the Blue Grass at Keeneland.

Instead of the Derby, Blended Citizen traveled to New York for the May 12 Grade 3 Peter Pan, in which he made a six-wide journey and was up late to win by 1 ½ lengths. The victory makes him the only Belmont horse to have a victory at the track.

The 1 ½-mile Belmont could be an even better scenario for the colt, a winner of three of 10 races.

“We were always hoping to run him in a longer race, and this is it,” said assistant trainer Leandro Mora. “So if he doesn’t do any good, at least we tried it. We got the shot.”

A Belmont victory would mark Blended Citizen as the eighth horse to sweep the Peter Pan and Belmont double. Others who have achieved the distinction are Counterpoint (1951), Gallant Man (1957), Cavan (1958), Coastal (1979), Danzig Connection (1986), A.P. Indy (1992), and Tonalist (2014).