Though he won’t make a final decision until Sunday, trainer Kenny McPeek appears to be leaning toward running Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan in the $2 million Belmont Stakes on June 8 at Saratoga. During a national conference call Thursday, McPeek said that if Mystik Dan works well this weekend at Saratoga and comes out of it well, he would likely run in the Belmont where he would face Preakness winner Seize the Grey. It would be the first meeting of separate winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness since Orb and Oxbow met in 2013. “We’re going to get our horse ready and assuming everything goes right over the next few days, through the weekend, we’re looking forward to being part of it,” McPeek said during a national conference call. “I’m pretty confident that we’ll get through this weekend and everything will go right. I’ve gone back to what I did before the Preakness – I don’t need to make a decision right away. He’s a horse that we want to pay close attention to. He’s a little tricky in that he’s a quiet type, and we don’t want to miss anything.” Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Derby by a nose over Sierra Lone – who also is pointing to the Belmont – and then finished second in the Preakness, 2 1/4 lengths behind Seize the Grey. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. McPeek reiterated that if, for some reason, he feels like Mystik Dan shouldn’t run in the Belmont then he would strongly consider running Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna in the race. If Mystik Dan runs in the Belmont, Thorpedo Anna would run in the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn on June 7 at Saratoga. Both Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna are in Saratoga, where McPeek plans to have a string all summer. McPeek said he likes the idea of running Mystik Dan in the Belmont as opposed to skipping it and waiting for a race like the Grade 1 Haskell on July 20 at Monmouth Park, which would require a ship. Ultimately, McPeek wants to run Mystik Dan in the Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 24 at Saratoga and possibly the Pennsylvania Derby before the Breeders’ Cup Classic. “The Belmont actually seems to be a little more attractive because I don’t have to ship, it is Grade 1, obviously the prestige is a no-brainer,” said McPeek, who won the 2002 Belmont with longshot Sarava. “We want to run, we do, we just got to make sure that all boxes are checked, t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted.” McPeek plans to work Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna on Saturday morning over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga. The two will work in company, but not each other, McPeek said. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.