Calder horse headed for Belmont Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Miami Gardens, FL (Sports Network) - A solid weekend workout at Calder Race Course proved enough for trainer Manny Azpurua to be convinced to send Ravelo's Boy to the 144th Belmont Stakes.

"He worked just the way I wanted him to," Azpurua said. "He had a fast work a couple of days ago, so I wanted him to do things easy today. I was so pleased with the way he handled himself and the distance."

Ravelo's Boy worked seven furlongs in 1:28.20 Sunday morning with Alex Solis in the saddle. Solis will also ride the three-year-old in the final leg of the Triple Crown on June 9.

"For the first part of the work he was just going along nice and easy. But he finished strong. I got the last half in 48 and change. He had a good gallop- out and he came back to the barn in top shape," Azpurua noted. "After the work I spoke with Alex and he was really pleased with how the horse went. And he will ride the horse for us in New York. We are happy to get him."

The chestnut colt is winless in three starts this year. He was fifth in the Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Derbies with a fourth in the Sam F. Davis Stakes sandwiched between them.

"If everything keeps going the way it has been, if we keep going along good, we'll be there and we'll see what we can do," the trainer said.