Albaugh Family Stables' Free Drop Billy (Union Rags) tuned up for a possible start in the June 9 GI Belmont S. with a five-furlong drill in :59.60 (2/25) Monday at Churchill Downs. Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols caught the colt working through fractions of :12.60, :23.80, :35.60 and :47 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12, seven furlongs in 1:25.20 and one mile in 1:39.80.
“Right now we're leaning towards running [in the Belmont],” trainer Dale Romans said. “We'll see how he comes out of the work Tuesday and talk with the owners. We'll make a final call in the next couple days.”
Free Drop Billy, winner of last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, was 16th in the GI Kentucky Derby. He is a half-brother to Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy), who most recently won the 12-furlong G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in the Godolphin colors. The exploits of that multiple Group 1 winner give Romans confidence in Free Drop Billy's ability to get the distance at Belmont.
“[Hawkbill] won at 1 1/2 miles, so I think Free Drop Billy could run all day,” Romans said. “Horses in the Belmont will probably only run 1 1/2 miles this one time, so it's unique for everyone involved. Free Drop Billy certainly has the pedigree to run that distance.”
Albaugh racing manager and partner Jason Loutsch said a decision on a Belmont start would likely be made by Tuesday.
“We wanted to get past this last big work and see how his energy level was,” Loutsch said. “Obviously, we were really disappointed in his effort in the Kentucky Derby. We're going to try to erase that, hopefully it was the slop and he didn't like the track. But it seems like he had a good work this morning, lots of energy, galloped out strong. Justify looks unbeatable the way he's been training this week, but I'll give Dennis [Albaugh] the pros and cons and let him say yes or no. This is what we're in the business for, a big race like this. We know it's a tall task, but if we can get a piece of it that would be a huge deal.”
Romans also sent out Robert Baron's Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford) to work at Churchill Downs Monday. The GII Fountain of Youth S. winner, 15th in the GI Kentucky Derby, went five furlongs in :59.60 (2/25). He could start next in either the GII Woody Stephens S. or the Easy Goer S.
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