Belmont Stakes / Sunday notes

Japanese-owned Casino Drive, Spark Candle and Champagne Squall, working in company, at Belmont on Sunday with Belmont Stakes starter Casino Drive eventually overtaking his workmates. The move does appear on the work tab.

“We got him in 1:10 and 3,” joked Nobutaka Tada, spokesperson for owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. “No, I am sure it was much slower and probably not what Americans are used to. But we are very happy with the way Casino Drive is coming along and how he is stretching out. We look forward to the Belmont Stakes.”

Casino Drive is a son of the Deputy Minister mare Better Than Honour, making him a half-brother to 2006 Belmont Stakes winner Jazil (by Seeking the Gold) and a three-quarter brother to 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches (by 1992 Horse of the Year and Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy).

Since his arrival here on April 30 – he won the Grade 2, nine-furlong Peter Pan on May 10 by 5¾ lengths in very solid 1:47.8 -- Casino Drive has been trained in a different manner than the resident Americans. He walks vigorously through the barn area for about an hour, then goes to the track to gallop, then walks for another hour, this the daily routine.

“We really try to pick his feet up,” Tada said. “We want him to be ready, so when he turns it on, he will be strong.”

Spark Candle, a $1.5 million purchase who was under consideration for the Belmont Stakes, will be entered in Friday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Hill Prince for three-year-olds at a mile on the turf. Edgar Prado, who will ride Casino Drive in the Belmont Stakes, has the mount on Spark Candle.

Tada had a bit of a late night Saturday. He found a local Irish pub in Floral Park, Trinity, where he was able to watch the Japanese Derby from Tokyo Race Course at 12:30 a.m.. Yamamoto’s Crystal Wing finished sixth to Toshi Fukami’s Deep Sky.

“It’s all right,” Tada said. ‘We’re saving our best for the Belmont Stakes.”

Wood Memorial winner Tale of Ekati worked six furlongs in 1:11.99, breezing, on the muddy main track at Belmont Park this morning. After two works that were less than what trainer Barclay Tagg had hoped for, Tale of Ekati finally got the move he needed.

“This was the move I was hoping for last week,” Tagg said. “Now, you can only hope that it wasn’t too much for him. Everything seems to be going well now, and we’re back on schedule.”

Tomcito, who was third to Big Brown in the Florida Derby and seventh to Casino drive in the Peter Pan, will not start in the Belmont Stakes, according to trainer Dante Zanelli, who said the son of Street Cry was suffering from a “reaction” but did not specify what caused it. “It’s very depressing,” he said.

Big Brown went out for his usual gallop Sunday morning around the Belmont Park oval under exercise rider Michelle Nevin, drawing applause from the “Breakfast at Belmont” crowd as he passed by the grandstand.

“He was very cheeky,” reported Nevin. “He had a basic gallop again today. He felt good. He knows something is going on because all these people are around him all the time, clapping for him in the grandstand.”

Nevin confirmed that Big Brown will have an acrylic and fiberglass patch placed on the small quarter-crack on his left front foot on Monday, and that he is scheduled to breeze on Tuesday morning.