Scrappy T's Connections Now Leaning Toward Belmont

Preakness Stakes (gr. I) runner-up Scrappy T will likely make his next start in the $1-million Belmont Stakes (gr. I) rather than the inaugural $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup, for which he is also under consideration.

Scrappy T's owner, Marshall Dowell, said Thursday the gelding is likely to pass on the Colonial Turf Cup at Colonial Downs, located in New Kent, Virginia about 20 minutes from Dowell's Mechanicsville home.

Dowell believed immediately after the Preakness that the Colonial Turf Cup would be the next start for the son of Fit to Fight, but wanted to talk further with his trainer, Robbie Bailes. Scrappy T is one of 67 horses nominated to the Colonial Turf Cup June 25 and the $750,000 Virginia Derby (gr. III) July 16 that comprise the first two legs of the $5 million "Grand Slam of Grass", a new turf bonus series.

"All indications are that Scrappy T is heading to the Belmont," Dowell said Thursday afternoon.

Scrappy T's entry in the Belmont would create a rematch of the top three finishers of the Preakness and in all likelihood scrap both stake outings on the Colonial Downs turf. The Belmont would be Scrappy T's third start in nine weeks. Over Preakness weekend both Dowell and Bailes had said they looked forward to running Scrappy at Colonial.

"If it weren't for Colonial Downs, this would be an easy decision to make," said Bailes, a Virginia native, earlier this week.

Bailes and Dowell have said that they won't make their decision final until Sunday.