Schulhofer shoots for third Belmont win Associated Press NEW YORK -- On the wall behind Scotty Schulhofer's desk at Belmont Park hang several crayon drawings. One is of Lemon Drop Kid, the trainer's 1999 Belmont Stakes winner, and another of Postponed, who will run in Saturday's $1 million Belmont. The starting gate is in the background, with Postponed neatly drawn in the foreground. The caption reads: "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important race." "She's has some imagination, huh?" Schulhofer said Thursday morning, turning to face the wall of pictures. At the other desk in his office is Janet Mora, whose 13-year-old daughter, Marisa, is the artist. "She's been doing this for a few years," Mora said. "And she can write pretty well, too." Postponed may have been late for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, but the 3-year-old colt is ready to jump into the 1½-mile Belmont. "I think he will be someone to contend with," Schulhofer said. "He's been doing really well and we'll just hope for the best. If he can do it, it would be great." Postponed is coming off the best race of his eight-race career, a three-quarters-of-a-length win in the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont on May 27. And the best part was Postponed wasn't tired after the effort. "He was bucking and squealing and the race didn't knock him out at all," Schulhofer said. "If he can step it up a little, I feel he will be right there on Saturday." Just one race earlier, in an allowance at Aqueduct on May 3, Postponed was pooped after finishing second. Previously, he was sixth in the Wood Memorial and fifth in the Florida Derby. "He was so tired after that allowance he needed two weeks to get back to himself," Schulhofer said. "I was worried about him then." Not now. The 74-year-old Schulhofer is shooting for his third Belmont win and second in a row. Last year, Lemon Drop Kid spoiled Charismatic's Triple Crown bid; in '93, his Colonial Affair won the race also remembered for the fatal breakdown of Prairie Bayou. Both of his Belmont winners took the Peter Pan path to victory in the final leg of the Triple Crown: Lemon Drop Kid was second in '99 and Colonial Affair was third in '93. "It's worked for me before and hopefully it will work a third time," Schulhofer said. The 11-horse Belmont field features five 3-year-olds running in their first Triple Crown race. In addition to Postponed, who will be ridden by Edgar Prado, Appearing Now, Unshaded, Globalize and Tahkodha Hills were entered on Wednesday. The rest of the field includes Aptitude (second in the Derby); Impeachment (third in the Derby and Preakness); Wheelaway (fifth in the Derby); Hugh Hefner (sixth in the Preakness); Curule (seventh in the Derby); and Commendable (17th in the Derby). For the first time in 30 years, the Belmont will be run without the Derby and Preakness winners. Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus was withdrawn on Sunday after injuring his right front hoof in his stall at Aqueduct. Preakness winner Red Bullet was declared out because his connections felt he wouldn't be at his best with three weeks rest. Aptitude, a fast-closing second in the Derby, is the early 8-5 favorite, with Impeachment the second choice at 9-2. Unshaded and Wheelaway are both 5-1. Impeachment, trained by Todd Pletcher, will be the only horse to compete in all three Triple Crown races this year. He broke his maiden in his first start and is 0-for-7 since. Unshaded, trained by Carl Nafzger, got into the race after owner Jim Tafel paid a $100,000 supplemental fee because the gelding was not nominated for the Triple Crown. Postponed, purchased for $835,000 as a yearling by Jeanne Vance, has won two of three starts at Belmont and finished second in the other. "He has a lot of ability, natural ability," Schulhofer said. "I think he likes it here, and he still has a lot of room to improve."

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