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Heart of Honor faces intensive gate schooling at Saratoga Race Course as trainer Jamie Osborne prepares the colt for a potential tilt at the US$2 million Gr.1 Belmont Stakes following his disappointing fifth-place finish in the Gr.1 Preakness Stakes .The Honor A. P. colt, owned by Jim and Claire Limited, arrived at Saratoga on May 21st after struggling with gate issues at Pimlico Race Course, where he was fractious before the start and consequently off slowly under Saffie Osborne.
Osborne acknowledged the significant disadvantage his charge faced through poor gate behaviour, explaining the colt finished last of nine runners through the early stages before rallying wide to claim fifth, beaten 8¾ lengths by winner Journalism.
"He gave himself a massive disadvantage on the day at the gate," Osborne said. "We've got a couple of weeks to work on that and try and improve that again. He improved while we were in Dubai and got a lot of practice into the UAE Derby. We did a fair amount of practice in the Preakness and it didn't work. So, we need to do a bit more practice and get him to relax at the gate and if he goes in there and relaxes, he should jump out all right."
The trainer reported his charge had recovered well from the Preakness effort, noting improved conditions for preparation compared to the hectic schedule preceding the Pimlico assignment.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher maintains Grande and Crudo among potential starters for the final leg of the Triple Crown, with both horses now based at Saratoga following recent setbacks and victories respectively.
Grande, owned by Repole Stable, missed the Gr.1 Kentucky Derby due to foot problems but has returned to full training, whilst Crudo arrives fresh from victory in the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico for owners Bobby Flay and James Ventura.
"Grande is good and galloped well this morning. We don't have a schedule picked out just yet for him—we're not ruling anything out," Pletcher confirmed. "I spoke to Bobby Flay a little bit and it's the same thing for Crudo—nothing is ruled out."
The four-time Belmont Stakes winner, whose previous victories include Rags to Riches (2007), Palace Malice (2013), Tapwrit (2017), and Mo Donegal (2022), could add to his impressive record in the 1¼-mile test.
Current probables for the Belmont Stakes include Baeza (John Shirreffs), Heart of Honor, Hill Road (Chad Brown), Preakness winner Journalism (Michael McCarthy), Rodriguez (Bob Baffert), and Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Bill Mott).
Journalism, now stabled in Pletcher's barn having arrived in New York, made his first appearance on Saratoga's main track, jogging as part of his preparation programme.
Heart of Honor, a US$172,341 purchase at the 2024 Arqana 2YOBreeze Up Sale, boasts earnings of US$400,919 from seven starts with a 2-4-0 record. The colt is out of Group One-winning Scat Daddy mare Ruby Love.
Osborne indicated a cautious approach regarding work patterns, stating ,"We wouldn't be massive fans of breezing him too tight to a race, but we'll see how he is."