Solis Gets Belmont Ride

One of the owners of Rock Hard Ten said Tuesday that Alex Solis would ride the probable second choice Saturday in the Belmont Stakes.

Madeline Paulson, breeder and minority owner of Rock Hard Ten, said that Solis was hired after Pat Valenzuela, who had been named to ride, was unable to obtain a court stay of his 30-day suspension. Solis, who has never ridden Rock Hard Ten, is having a spectacular year, leading the country in purses with a total of almost $10 million.

Stewart Elliott, the rider of Smarty Jones, the Belmont favorite, ranks second with $8.9 million, $5 million of which was the Oaklawn Park bonus that Smarty Jones earned for two wins at the Arkansas track and his victory in the Kentucky Derby.

Solis’ hot streak began last fall when he rode the winners of two Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita. One of those winners, Pleasantly Perfect, also won the $6-million Dubai World Cup under Solis in March. The California-based Solis rode Monday at Belmont Park, where he booted home Pico Central in the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap.

Rock Hard Ten is given the best chance of stopping Smarty Jones as he tries to become the first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978.

Ridden by Gary Stevens, Rock Hard Ten finished second to Smarty Jones in the Preakness. Stevens, who is riding for trainer Andre Fabre in France this season, is unable to ride Rock Hard Ten in the Belmont.

Solis scored his only Triple Crown win in the 1986 Preakness with Snow Chief. In four Belmont tries, Solis’ best finish was a second, behind Commendable, with Aptitude in 2000.