Tank’s Prospect, Chief’s Crown Set for Belmont

Tank’s Prospect, the Preakness winner, who was out of the money in the Kentucky Derby, and Chief’s Crown, the beaten favorite in both races, will compete in the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, whose glitter this year has been dulled by controversy.

Another set to start in Saturday’s 1 1/2-mile Belmont is Stephan’s Odyssey, the Derby runner-up, who is trained by Woody Stephens. The 71-year-old Stephens won the last three Belmonts with Conquistador Cielo, Caveat and the ill-fated Swale.

Missing will be Spend a Buck, the fleet Derby winner, who skipped the Preakness May 18 to run in last Monday’s Jersey Derby at Garden State Park. He won the race and collected a $600,000 winner’s purse plus a $2 million bonus for sweeping that race, the Cherry Hill Mile, Garden State Stakes and Kentucky Derby.

But the Jersey Derby was struggle for Spend a Buck, and trainer Cam Gambolatti said the colt would be rested until late July. The last Kentucky Derby winner to miss both the Preakness and Belmont was Tomy Lee in 1959.

Owner Dennis Diaz’s decision to skip the Preakness with Spend a Buck drew criticism from racing traditionalists.

The operators of the the 1-mile Derby, 1 3/16-mile Preakness and Belmont said they will continue to discuss ways to keep the Triple Crown a major showcase. A bonus to any 3-year-old who sweeps the series is a possibility. Only 11 horses have accomplished the feat.

Tank’s Prospect could become the first horse to fail in the Derby, then win the Preakness and Belmont since 1974. That year, Little Current finished fifth in the 23-horse Derby, then won the Preakness and Belmont.

The stretch-running Tank’s Prospect, who finished seventh in the Derby, overtook Chief’s Crown near the finish for a head victory in the Preakness. The colt, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Eugene V. Klein, is trained by Wayne Lukas.

Other stretch-runners among the $350,000-added Belmont probables include Henryk deKwiatkowski’s Stephan’s Odyssey, Darby Dan Farm’s Proud Truth, William R. Hawn’s Fast Account and Jacques D. Wimpfheimer’s El Basco.

Stephan’s Odyssey skipped the Preakness after his 5-length runner-up finish in the Derby. He prepped for the Belmont with a fourth-place finish in Peter Pan last Sunday at Belmont.

Proud Truth, fifth in the Derby, won the Peter Pan. He is trained by John Veitch, whose Alydar finished second to Affirmed in all of the Triple Crown races.

Fast Account, trained by Patti Johnson, finished second in the Derby Trial and fourth in the Derby. He skipped the Preakness.

El Basco would be making his debut in Triple Crown competition. In his last start, he finished third in the Jersey Derby, beaten a neck and a head, respectively, by Spend a Buck and Creme Fraiche. The Stephens-trained Creme Fraiche was considered a Belmont possibility.

However, although the Belmont is the longest of the Triple Crown races, the winner has often run on or near the pace, and this could be to the advantage of Crown Stable’s Chief’s Crown.

Some Belmont winners, who led all or most of the way, included Bold Forbes, 1976; Seattle Slew, 1977; Affirmed, 1978; Conquistador Cielo, 1982, and Swale, 1984.

Two others being considered for the 116th Belmont include Cutlass Reality, second in the Peter Pan, and Southern Sultan, who recently won a 1 1/2-mile maiden race at Delaware Park.