Belmont Stakes: 2-time winner Rosario will ride Barber Road


In both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Rosario finished second as the favorite aboard Epicenter.

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Barber Road, who skipped the Preakness, rallied to be sixth in the Kentucky Derby under Reylu Gutierrez.

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Rosario's agent, Ron Anderson, confirmed the Belmont commitment aboard Barber Road on Saturday.

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"Part of my job is to run in these high-profile races and Epicenter wasn't running back," Anderson told Horse Racing Nation.

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I tried a couple of people and knocked on the door and that one answered.

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Barber Road is winless in five starts this year for trainer John Ortiz,

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but has been runner-up in three stakes including the Arkansas Derby (G1).

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In the Kentucky Derby, Barber Road was last of 20 after a quarter mile and still in 14th with 440 yards to go.

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The chart notes Barber Road went "11-wide" at the quarter pole and rallied "mildly" through the lane to be beaten less than five lengths.

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