Wathnan Racing’s Commandment has returned to the worktab and is now being aimed at the GI Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 6. The GI Curlin Florida Derby winner showed no signs of distress after the GI Kentucky Derby and completed his first breeze since that race at Churchill Downs on Friday.
Trainer Brad Cox sent the Into Mischief colt four furlongs in company in :48.80, and the move was described by Wathnan Racing manager, USA, Case Clay, as smooth and comfortable. Clay said, “The breeze went well today and he’s come out of the Derby in good order,” adding that the team will now “shoot for the Belmont.”
Derby run sets the stage for next target
Commandment entered the Kentucky Derby at 6-1 and broke slowly, which left him with a difficult trip early. He was 13th after a half-mile in :46.44 before making progress on the far turn while traveling at least five wide under Luis Saez.
The colt still had a chance turning for home, but traffic in the stretch forced him to run between rivals and kept him from making a serious late impact. He finished seventh, 5 1/4 lengths behind upset winner Golden Tempo.
Connections liked what they saw in the latest work
Clay said the Churchill Downs drill gave the team another positive sign about the colt’s condition. He noted that Commandment went in :48 2/5 and :1:01 1/5, then galloped out in 1:15, calling it “just a good, smooth breeze.”
That outcome matters because the Belmont will ask for another strong effort from a horse that already showed graded-stakes class earlier in the spring. Commandment won the Florida Derby and now moves forward with that result still part of his profile as the stable turns the page from Louisville to Saratoga.
Clay also stressed that confidence has not changed after the Derby trip. “We were confident going into the Derby and still confident going into the Belmont,” he said, while pointing out that the colt is doing well and now has a clear path toward the next target.
