Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming will not run in Belmont Stakes

Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming will skip the Belmont Stakes next month after finishing eighth in the Preakness Stakes.

Trainer Todd Pletcher says the 3-year-old colt will be pointed toward either the $600,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 29 or the $1-million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth on July 30, according to the Daily Racing Form.

Trainer Chad Brown says he will wait until after the Memorial Day weekend to announce where Preakness winner Cloud Computing will run next. However, it appears unlikely he will run in the Belmont.

The Belmont field is limited to 16 starters. Besides Preakness runner-up Classic Empire, other horses expected to run are:

Conquest Mo Money, Japan-based Epicharis, Gormley, Irap, J Boys Echo, Lookin At Lee, Meantime, Multiple, Patch, Senior Investment, Tapwrit, True Timber and Twisted Tom.

Other possibilities are Irish War Cry and Hollywood Handsome.

Asmussen reaches milestone

Steve Asmussen became just the third trainer in Churchill Downs history to saddle 600 winners when he won Friday’s second race. He joins fellow Hall of Famers Bill Mott (700) and Dale Romans (685) for most wins by a trainer at the Louisville track.

Asmussen saddled She’s a Julie to a 5 1/4 -length victory. The 2-year-old filly is named for Asmussen’s wife who has successfully fought neck and throat cancer.

Asmussen has 7,644 career victories and purse earnings of $256.7 million during his 30-year career.