NEW YORK (AP) -- Freedom Child might get his ideal track Saturday in the Belmont Stakes- rainy and sloppy.
A wet strip would certainly enhance the chances of the 8-1 shot in the 1 1/2-mile final jewel of the Triple Crown.
The forecast calls for heavy rain and thunderstorms Friday continuing into Saturday with an 80 percent chance of showers on Belmont Day.
None of that was bad news for trainer Tom Albertrani.
''We've been watching the forecast since a few days ago,'' he said Wednesday. ''It's getting better and better for us, every time we look at it.''
Several horses in the 14-horse field have proven ability on a wet track, most notably Orb, the 3-1 Belmont favorite, who rallied from 16th in the slop at Churchill Downs to win the Kentucky Derby.
Freedom Child never made the Derby. His shot to qualify vanished at the start of the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. He was still in the hands of an assistant starter when the gate opened. Badly compromised at the break, Freedom Child finished last and all bets on him were refunded.
His next race was the Peter Pan at Belmont on the Saturday following the Derby. It came up sloppy, and Freedom Child loved it.
He shot right to the front and steadily widened his margin, winning by a stunning 13 1/4 lengths. Next up is the Belmont.
''He couldn't be better,'' Albertrani said. ''He's sharp. His energy level is very high. I couldn't be happier with the way he's looking right now.''
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