Albertrani targets another classic with Deputy Glitters

Trainer Tom Albertrani took the webbing from Bernardini's stall at Pimlico Race Course home with him to Belmont Park and hung it in his office to commemorate the Darley homebred's win in the Preakness Stakes (G1) on May 20.
The webbing displays the Preakness Stakes (G1) logo and what is supposed to be Bernardini's name, but the second "r" is missing, a sign of how far beneath radar Albertrani and Bernardini were while Barbaro commanded the spotlight before the Preakness.
Bernardini and Barbaro will both be absent from the $1-million Belmont Stakes (G1) on Saturday, but Albertrani may have another sleeper in Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Deputy Glitters, who will be making his first start since finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at odds of 60.60-to-1, the longest price in the 20-horse field.
The Deputy Commander colt swung 11-wide at the top of the lane in the Derby.
"We were farther back [early] than we were hoping to be," Albertrani said on Tuesday after Deputy Glitters worked five furlongs in :59.82 over the Belmont main track . "We had three horses beat going into the first turn and came with a run. He was 11-wide and ended up finishing eighth and running a pretty good race considering the circumstances. He passed horses at the end and was still closing even though he went so wide, so I thought he finished well.
"Jazil was inside and we were right alongside of him at the half-mile pole," Albertrani continued. "Jazil went on the rail—and we went [outside]—and ended up finishing fourth, and that shows you what a difference it makes, because we were both making our move at the same time."
Tuesday was Albertrani's first day back at Belmont after serving a 15-day suspension for a medication violation. His ban began on May 22, two days after the Preakness, and ended on Monday.
Albertrani used part of his time off to get away to the Bahamas for three days with his wife, Fonda, and two daughters.
"We enjoyed it," Albertrani said. "Other than that, I pretty much stayed around and got caught up on some other things. In one way, I guess I could have used it, but on the other hand you don't like to take it under those kind of circumstances. Everything was under control here."
The Brooklyn native thinks Deputy Glitters deserves more respect than the betting public has displayed for the colt. He said too much emphasis has been placed on Deputy Glitters's poor performance over sloppy tracks in the Champagne (G1) and Wood Memorial (G1) Stakes.
"We know he doesn't handle a sloppy track," Albertrani said. "He was [63.40-to-1 when he finished second to Bluegrass Cat in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa] and 60-to-1 in the Derby. If you throw out the Wood Memorial and Champagne, he's not that far behind Bluegrass Cat."
Deputy Glitters won the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) by two lengths over Bluegrass Cat, who went on to finish second in the Kentucky Derby and is the likely favorite for the Belmont.
Albertrani said Bernardini is in the midst of a bit of a break before he targets the Jim Dandy (G2) on July 29 and Travers (G1) Stakes on August 26, both at Saratoga Race Course.
"He's doing super," Albertrani said. "We're letting him get a little down time now and just gallop. We're not going to do any kind of work with him for another week or so. We'll let him relax and put some weight on him and get a little 'r and r' like I did."
Source: www.thoroughbredtimes.com