If Max Player improves as much in the afternoon as he has in the morning, he just might have a chance to pull an upset in next Saturday\u2019s $1 million Belmont Stakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the second time in 10 days, Max Player put in a terrific workout over the Belmont Park main track, this time going six furlongs in 1:12.25 Saturday morning under exercise rider Oscar Gomez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Max Player was one of three Belmont contenders to work on a splendid late spring morning in New York. Trainer Todd Pletcher\u2019s pair of Dr Post and Farmington Road went a half-mile together in 48.87 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Max Player was the first horse to breeze following the 8:45 a.m. renovation break. He went from the half-mile pole to a furlong past the wire in 59.61 seconds and then went out six furlongs in 1:12.25 and seven furlongs in 1:25.17. On June 3, Max Player worked five furlongs in 1:00.85 with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:12.38.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s really learned to finish when you ask him,\u201d trainer Linda Rice said. \u201cHe\u2019s running along nice and easy then Oscar asked him a little bit at the sixteenth pole which was the plan to let him finish a little bit. I thought he actually looked better today than he did 10 days ago.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rice said Max Player is a totally different workhorse than he was just a few months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou couldn\u2019t get him to breeze alone, had to work with company,\u201d Rice said. \u201cLast September, October, he was breezing five-eighths in 1:03-and-four. He\u2019s changed a lot. He\u2019s figured it out. Now we breeze him alone, you ask him, he responds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Max Player, a son of Honor Code owned by George Hall, has won two of three starts. He has not run since winning the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shortly after Max Player finished his breeze, Dr Post and Farmington Road went a half-mile together. Dr Post, under Irad Ortiz Jr., started about a half-length off of Farmington Road, who was ridden by Javier Castellano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pair, both progeny of Quality Road, went their opening quarter in 25.13 seconds and got their last quarter in 23.74. They galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.02 and six furlongs in 1:13.09.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought it was very good,\u201d Pletcher said. \u201cThey pretty much did most of their major training in Florida, just looking for a maintenance half. They both did it easily, galloped out fast but did it very much in hand so I was pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Post is coming off a victory in the Unbridled Stakes at Gulfstream on April 25. Farmington Road is coming off a fourth-place finish behind Nadal in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on May 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of Saturday, there were 10 horses under consideration for the Belmont led by two-time Grade 1 winner Tiz the Law, who was expected to have his final Belmont workout Sunday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Others expected for the Belmont include Sole Volante, Tap It to Win, Basin, and Jungle Runner. Possible, though not confirmed, are Modernist and Pneumatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n