Da' Tara led the way in the Barbaro Stakes on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course before getting caught in the final strides of the 1 1/16-mile race by Roman Emperor.
The Barbaro performance, on the undercard of the Preakness Stakes (G1), convinced trainer Nick Zito to give the Tiznow colt a try in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
"Da' Tara is getting better," Zito said. "One thing is, when these things are good, you've got to run them. He was good in the Barbaro on Preakness Day, and he was a lot better than a lot of the horses in the Preakness. He's still a longshot. But he's good and he's a terrific horse."