Mucho Macho Man clocks bullet in final work for Belmont

Mucho Macho Man and Dominguez took a spin around Belmont (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Grade 2 hero MUCHO MACHO MAN (Macho Uno) turned in his final serious
work for Saturday’s 143rd running of the Belmont S. (G1) on Sunday
morning under new jockey Ramon Dominguez, covering the fast main-track
five furlongs in a brisk :59 2/5, the best of 15 at the distance.

The leggy bay colt, third in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and then sixth
in the Preakness (G1) after losing a shoe, came onto the main track
shortly after the renovation break at 8:45 a.m. (EDT). Jogging past the
“Breakfast at Belmont” fans in front of the grandstand, Mucho Macho Man
stood quietly at the finish line for a few moments before Dominguez
turned him around and cantered around the clubhouse turn.

On the backstretch, Dominguez allowed the colt to quicken his pace at
the 5 1/2-furlong pole, turning in splits of :12, :23 4/5 and :35 1/5
before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.

“He went very good today, I think Ramon fit him really well,” trainer Kathy
Ritvo said. “He was comfortable on him, he let him do it on his own, and he went
great. Finished up well, galloped out good, good energy. I’m happy that he’s
doing really well.”

Mucho Macho Man will be one of only three horses who competed in all three legs of the 2011 Triple Crown (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

Ritvo said she was looking forward to the opportunity to take on the Derby
and Preakness winners again.

“I think he’s going to run well on this racetrack,” remarked Ritvo,
who trains Mucho Macho Man for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Dream Team Racing
Stable.
“It’s a great place to train a horse. It’s a great place to run. And I think the
distance is going to suit him well. He’s the kind of horse who wants to keep
going.”

Although Mucho Macho Man is technically three-years old, as all Thoroughbreds
share a common January 1 birthday, his actual foal date was June 15, 2008.

“He’s been super, I’ve never had anything like this before,” Ritvo said. “He
eats well, eats three or four times a day. He never leaves an oat. He loves to
train; you put the tack on him, he’s a professional. I have to keep reminding
myself he’s a June 15 foal.”

Harlan’s Hello will try to emulate 2008 winner Da’ Tara by earning his first stakes score in the Belmont (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

“I thought he worked really well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It was a good
solid five-eighths, a minute and two-fifths with a strong gallop out. We were
happy with it.”

Javier Castellano, currently the leading rider at the Belmont spring/summer
meet, was aboard the three-year-old colt for the workout and will also
ride him in next weekend’s race. They went an eighth in :12 1/5, a half in :24
1/5,
three-eighths in :36 2/5, and galloped six furlongs out in 1:13 2/5, finishing two lengths ahead
of workmate Joe Vann (Silver Deputy).

Pletcher said that Stay Thirsty, winner of the Gotham S. (G3) at Aqueduct on
March 5 before running seventh in the Florida Derby (G1) and 12th in the Kentucky
Derby, is doing very well heading into the Belmont.

“He’s as good as he can be coming into the race,” the conditioner said. “We’re hopeful
that he can handle the mile-and-a-half distance. We won’t know until we try it
but his pedigree suggests he could handle it. We’re under the radar a bit.
There’s no pressure so we can just come into it and have fun.”