SARATOGA SPRINGS — Neither Ken McPeak nor D. Wayne Lucas seem too worried about rain ruining their celebrations this weekend.
Accuweather forecasts a few thunderstorms on Friday with an 84% chance of rain. Saturday will start out sunny, but then clouds will move in with showers and thunderstorms.
There is a 94% chance of rain on Belmont Stakes day.
Lucas, 88, the trainer of Preakness winner She’s the Gray, told The Post he wasn’t too worried about the what-ifs, but “it’s kind of dry around here, but rain tonight would be really appreciated at the track.”
She’s the Grey won her first race on a muddy track at Saratoga last July, defeating Belmont Stakes favorite Dornoch by 1 ¾ lengths.
McPeak said he wouldn’t welcome the rain, but his Kentucky Derby winner, Mystique Dan, is known as one of the best slop runners in the sport.
The horse won the Arkansas Derby by eight lengths on a muddy track in February and finished second in the Preakness Stakes three weeks ago on a muddy track at Pimlico.
“Best of all, he’s a horse that’s pretty unaffected,” McPeak said, “so I don’t think it’s that he likes muddy water, he just doesn’t care. Other horses might not handle it well, but we know he can.”
Some of the horses who compete at Belmont have had success off the track.
Todd Pletcher’s Antiquarian won at the Fair Grounds in February.
Sierra Leone won the Remsen race on the muddy track at Aqueduct last December.
