The presence of Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Curlin, Hard Spun, and possibly Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Street Sense most likely will keep Barbaro Stakes winner Chelokee out of the $1-million Belmont Stakes (G1), trainer Michael Matz said on Friday.

“He’s been back galloping the last couple days and he looks good, but I don’t think we’re going to run,” Matz said. “There’s still a lot of racing left to go this year and I want to try and keep this horse going the right way.”

Centennial Farm’s Chelokee, a Cherokee Run colt, finished third in the Florida Derby (G1) on March 31 at Gulfstream Park.

Hard Spun, who finished second in the Derby and third in the Preakness, is progressing well and remains on target for a start in the Belmont, trainer Larry Jones said on Friday.

“Everything is going as well as it could,” Jones said from his base at Delaware Park. “Today was his third day back to the track. He galloped a mile-and-a-half and jogged three furlongs.”

Jones will wait a bit longer, however, before cementing his decision to enter the Danzig colt in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown.

“We’ll wait until the weekend to make a firm decision,” he said.

Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher I’mawildandcrazyguy breezed one mile at Calder Race Course on Friday, completing the distance in 1:47.60 with Juan Leyva aboard as he prepares for a start in the Belmont.

“He went real easy the first part and we let him roll down the stretch,” trainer Bill Kaplan said. “I got him in 23:60 through the stretch. I’m very pleased with the work. It went beautifully.”

The Wild Event gelding rallied from last in the Derby to finish eight lengths behind Street Sense, and he did not start in the Preakness. He will be ridden by Mark Guidry in the Belmont.
source www.thoroughbredtimes.com