Belmont Adds One, Loses One

Wiseman’s Ferry, a colt with the same front-running style as War Emblem, is a definite for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, trainer Niall O’Callaghan said at Churchill Downs on Sunday.

The 134th Belmont lost a horse, however, when Craig Dollase, the trainer of Tracemark, said that the runner-up to Wiseman’s Ferry in the Lone Star Derby would not run. That leaves the Belmont with a 12-horse field.

Wiseman’s Ferry, whose career started in Ireland with trainer Aidan O’Brien, has won two of three starts in the U.S. He sprinted in Europe before the Irish-born O’Callaghan tried him in longer two-turn races as a 3-year-old. The Lone Star Derby, run May 11, was at 11/8 miles.

“I might be pretty stupid to run,” O’Callaghan said, “but at least I’m smart enough to know that I’m stupid. I wish my horse’s style wasn’t the same as War Emblem’s. I don’t have any clue whether my horse can get the mile and a half. But it’s the Belmont, and I think we have to take a shot.”

Jorge Chavez, who won the 2001 Kentucky Derby with Monarchos, will ride Wiseman’s Ferry.

Two Belmont probables had workouts Sunday. Proud Citizen ran five furlongs at Churchill Downs in 1:00 and Like A Hero covered a half-mile at Belmont Park in :49. War Emblem galloped 11/2 miles in humid, 85-degree heat at Churchill.

Robert Baker, David Cornstein and Bill Mack, who own Proud Citizen, said that they have pledged their potential share of the Belmont purse to the New York Twin Towers Fund. They have guaranteed a contribution of $100,000. The Belmont is a $1-million race, with first place worth $600,000.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

*--* Probable Belmont Field Horses, listed in alphabetical order, expected to run in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. Post time: 3 p.m. PDT. TV: Channel 4 (coverage starts at 2 p.m.) Horse Jockey Artax Too Norberto Arroyo Jr Essence Of Dubai Jerry Bailey Like A Hero Pat Day Magic Weisner Richard Migliore Medaglia d’Oro Undecided Perfect Drift Eddie Delahoussaye Proud Citizen Mike Smith Puzzlement Jean-Luc Samyn Sarava Edgar Prado Sunday Break Gary Stevens War Emblem Victor Espinoza Wiseman’s Ferry Jorge Chavez

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