Tapit and The Cliff’s Edge Are Ruled Out

Tapit, the Wood Memorial winner and the ninth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, won’t run in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.

David Fiske, the farm manager for Tapit’s owner, Ron Winchell, said that the colt hasn’t recovered from a lung infection.

In another Belmont development Saturday, The Cliff’s Edge, the fifth-place finisher in the Derby, worked five furlongs in a lackluster 1:02 3/5 at Saratoga and his trainer, Nick Zito, said that he also wouldn’t run.

Zito, who has never won the Belmont, his hometown race, is still taking two shots, with Birdstone and Royal Assault, in the 1 1/2 mile race, which will determine whether Smarty Jones can become the 12th Triple Crown champion.

Zito’s pair will be joined by Rock Hard Ten, Eddington, Tap Dancer and Caiman in the Belmont. Another possible for the race, trainer Todd Pletcher said Saturday, was Purge, who couldn’t beat Smarty Jones in Arkansas but won the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park in his last start. Pletcher said that he would probably enter Purge Wednesday, when post positions are drawn, and not decide about running until race day.

Caiman won his last two starts, allowance races at Hawthorne in suburban Chicago, and his trainer, Angel Medina, indicated that he would ship the horse to New York early this week.

Bill Christine

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Twice As Bad, making his first start since Dec. 13, easily dispatched of his seven rivals in the $150,000 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park.

With Alex Solis substituting for jockey Corey Nakatani, who took off his final two mounts because of back spasms brought on by an incident in the starting gate, Twice As Bad pressed the pace from the outside, then took charge around the turn to win for the third time in 13 starts. The 2-1 favorite ran the seven furlongs in 1:21.57 and beat Wimplestiltskin by three lengths.

Twice As Bad’s task was made easier after Hosco, the 9-2 third choice on the morning line, and 9-5 favorite Siphonizer were scratched.

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Moscow Burning, claimed for $25,000 last summer at the Bay Meadows Fair, became a Grade II winner when she went wire-to-wire in the $150,000 Sheepshead Bay Handicap at Belmont Park.

Ridden for the first time by Mike Smith, Moscow Burning, who was the 4-1 third choice in the field of seven, completed the 1 1/2 miles over a yielding turf course in 2:18.24. Spice Island, the 19-10 favorite, finished a length back in second.

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-- Bob Mieszerski