Union Rags under new jockey John Velazquez fires a bullet at Fair Hill
At the back of a rough trip in the Grade 1, $2 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on 5 May, 2012, Union Rags will make his Triple Crown return in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes on 9 June at the Big Sandy.
The Chadds Ford Stable owned 3-year-old colt, Union Rags, could have done better in the Kentucky Derby, had he not been bogged down in the middle of horse flesh at Churchill Downs – which ruled out any chance of a decent finish.
In the aftermath of all that, trainer Michael Matz was bound to make some changes, and he rued at the lost chance in a one off opportunity at the Run for the Roses. He started off by bypassing the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes on 19 May at Pimlico to give Union
Rags a breather coming off a busy spring season.
The next apparent change was to replace jockey Julian Leparoux with John Velazquez, because Matz might have not flush on the media, but he did partly blame the French rider for a weak trip in the Derby.
The experienced John Velazquez got acquainted with Union Rags at Fair Hill Training Center, where the Dixie Union colt is preparing for the “Test of the Champions.”
On their first ride together, Union Rags impressed John Velazquez with a blistering five furlong move in a bullet 59 seconds flat at Fair Hill on 3 June, 2012.
Out of mare Tempo, Union Rags was so fast that day, that he beat six works by a full three seconds at the same distance, looks like ready for a spoiler for I’ll Have Another’s bid of becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner in the history of American
Thoroughbred racing.
"I'm glad Johnny made the effort to come down and sit on him," Matz said. "Johnny seemed to like him and he seemed to do that easy enough."
"Excellent, man -- very easy," Velazquez enthused after returning to Belmont Park. "It was a little faster than we had planned, but it was very easy. Very impressive. Hopefully, we can keep him like that for Saturday!"
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