GI Arkansas Derby winner Creator (Tapit), prepping for the June 11 GI Belmont S., worked five furlongs at Churchill Downs Monday in 1:02.00. The WinStar Farm colorbearer, working in company with stablemate Gold Hawk (Empire Maker), recorded fractions of :13 and :37.80 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15 and seven furlongs in 1:28.80. Jockey Florent Geroux was in the irons Monday, but Irad Ortiz, Jr. will have the mount in the Belmont.
“He felt really good,” Geroux said. “That was my first time on his back. It was a steady work; nothing crazy, but it was nice and steady and he felt very good.”
Creator is coming off a 13th-place finish in the May 7 GI Kentucky Derby.
“We wanted to keep him in a nice long rhythm,” trainer Steve Asmussen said of Monday's work. “The Belmont is on his agenda, obviously, so staying is going to come into play. I thought that he put in a nice, smooth work today and galloped out really well. I think that his weight has rebounded nicely since the Derby and we plan on sending him up to Belmont tomorrow. That will give us a shot to get a little look of the Belmont racetrack and hope for the best.”
Creator is out of Peruvian champion and U.S. Grade I-placed Morena (Per) (Privately Held). Asmussen thinks the gray's pedigree will be an advantage going the 1 1/2 miles of the Belmont, but has concerns on a projected slow pace for his late-running charge.
“You get a lot of comfort from his pedigree and how much stay is in his pedigree,” Asmussen explained. “He is a very efficient horse. I'm just a little concerned right now with the possible pace scenario with this year's Belmont. The lack of pace, or the possibility of it, is a concern. Sometimes a lack of pace on paper sets it up.”
Of Creator, Asmussen added, “He's a really nice horse. I think we've seen his attitude has improved and his energy level is very high right now. We're excited about his prospects for the Belmont.”
Also Monday at Churchill, Asmussen sent out GI Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) to work five furlongs in 1:01.00. The chestnut is expected to make his next start in the June 18 GIII Matt Winn S. in Louisville.
“With Gun Runner and Creator there is a lot of the year left and they're both top-class horses, so we'll get to prove that before the year is over,” Asmussen said.
The Asmussen-trained Untapable (Tapit) also worked at Churchill Monday, going five furlongs in company in 1:00.40 ahead of a projected start in the June 18 GII Fleur de Lis.
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