Belmont Possible for Pincay

Laffit Pincay Jr., replaced by Jerry Bailey on Medaglia d’Oro in the Preakness Stakes after riding the colt in his three previous races, may end up having a mount in what could be a historic Belmont Stakes on June 8.

The world’s winningest jockey is the regular rider of Like A Hero, a 3-year-old son of Pleasant Colony who could make his graded stakes debut when War Emblem goes for the Triple Crown in the Belmont.

Whether Like A Hero heads to New York depends on what happens in the $75,000 Alydar Stakes today at Hollywood Park.

If Like A Hero, who has won two of three, beats four opponents in the 11/8-mile race, trainer Beau Greely and owner-breeder Andrea Pollack, who races as Columbine Stable, may decide to try the Belmont. At 11/2 miles, it is the longest of the Triple Crown races. With his pedigree--his mother, Like A Hawk, is a daughter of Silver Hawk--Like A Hero would seemingly be suited to the trip.

“The Belmont is a possibility,” Greely said Wednesday morning. “If he wins [today], it is definitely an option and we’ll discuss it and go from there.”

After narrowly missing with a furious late rally in his debut at seven furlongs on Feb. 18, Like A Hero has won twice around two turns.

The heavy favorite in both races at Santa Anita, he was not particularly impressive but got the job done. He did overcome some trouble on each occasion and looks like a colt who will improve with experience.

Idle since defeating Golden Hare by a nose on April 19, Like A Hero has trained well at Hollywood Park, where he is stabled, and Greely says he is maturing.

“The Pleasant Colony [horses] always take a little time to develop,” he said. “He’s a big, long horse who was slow developing, but there’s a huge difference between his first race and now. He’s acting more like a race horse. He knows what he’s doing.

“He worked seven furlongs in 1:274/5 [on May 12] and went the final five-eighths in 1:00 flat. He’s doing very well and he should be awfully tough [this afternoon].”

One of Like A Hero’s foes in the Alydar also may have designs on the Belmont. Azillion has been mentioned as a possible should he prevail today for trainer Bob Hess Jr.

Azillion has yet to win in this country. He is best known for his neck loss to Perfect Drift--who returned to finish third in the Kentucky Derby and is also headed to the Belmont--in the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 23.