SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Overcast skies and occasional light drizzle greeted the 10 prospective Belmont Stakes starters Thursday morning at Saratoga, all of whom put in routine gallops, the majority, as usual, taking place over the Oklahoma training track. Mystik Dan was once again the first Belmont entrant out Thursday morning. He had himself another very good day, as did Mindframe and Seize the Grey, whose energy level has been high on a regular basis despite the fact he’ll be making his third start in a five-week span on Saturday. Mindframe galloped right behind his more accomplished stablemate Fierceness, who has remained in training despite being declared out of the Belmont last week. Honor Marie, who trained extremely well prior to his eventful trip in the Derby, schooled briefly in the starting gate, then galloped for a second straight morning over the main track. He moved a lot smoother Thursday, picking up the pace the further he went after a tentative beginning. He was not as visually impressive as in any of his final pre-Derby gallops. The following is a brief rundown of the Belmont field, in post-position order, from observations made locally the past two weeks. :: DRF's Belmont Stakes Headquarters: Contenders, latest news, and more Seize The Grey: Has come a long way in a short time. Logic dictates he’s supposed to regress off a career-best effort in Preakness, although he has not trained like a tired horse, by any means, since shipping here from Kentucky. Resillience: Turned in arguably the best final Belmont work in the field. He shaded 23 seconds for the final quarter before galloping out with very good energy. His ability to stay 10 furlongs is the question. Mystik Dan: Like Seize the Grey, he will be making his third start in five weeks. Has had a couple of hard races but is another who hasn’t shown any real signs of backing up from the looks of his daily training sessions. I did expect to see him gallop out just a little stronger in his final Belmont breeze. The Wine Steward: Arrived on the scene late after doing all his major prep work in Kentucky. Have not had the chance to see him train here the past two mornings. Antiquarian: Reportedly had a huge work at Belmont Park prior to shipping upstate. Really liked the way he finished/galloped out in his one local drill here last weekend. Gives every indication he could be sitting on his best yet, especially on the stretch to 10 furlongs. Dornoch: Has done nothing wrong exiting a brutal trip in Derby. Expect to see him a lot more forwardly placed, if not with the leaders from the outset. Protective: His one local work came in company with Mindframe. Basically maintenance in design, he was clearly second best to his more accomplished stablemate on the gallop-out. Honor Marie: Another who had a very unlucky run in the Derby. Loved the way he trained into that race but have not seen that from him here, albeit from limited observations since his arrival earlier in the week. Sierra Leone: Have not seen anything in the morning to suggest in any manner that he’s not strictly the one to beat coming off a frustrating near miss in the Derby. Last two breezes were solid while training with a new bit designed to give his new rider, Flavien Prat, more control of the quirky colt in the stretch. Seems best of this crop to this point in the season. :: Bet the Belmont Stakes with confidence! Join DRF Bets and get a $200 deposit match bonus and FREE DRF Past Performances! Mindframe: Pretty much in maintenance mode in his local works but with tons of energy on the gallop-outs. He looked strong and happy training over the Oklahoma track before and after those breezes. Obviously extremely talented but being asked to do a lot stretching to 1 1/4 miles and stepping up into this type of company with only two previous starts on his résumé. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.