Belmont’s Super Saturday features four Grade 1 stakes

Belmont’s Super Saturday features four
Grade 1 stakes

Evening Attire was sent off at 9-1 when winning the 2002 Gold Cup (Vincent Dusovic/Horsephotos.com) The $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) highlights four Grade 1 events on tap Saturday at Belmont Park and a field of seven has been entered for the 86th running of the 1 1/4-mile event. Champion FUNNY CIDE (Distorted Humor) and 2002 Jockey Club winner EVENING ATTIRE (Black Tie Affair [Ire]) are the most accomplished members of the handicap division in the field, and sophomores THE CLIFF’S EDGE (Gulch) and LOVE OF MONEY (Not for Love) both own a legitimate chance in their first test against older horses. Funny Cide hasn’t won since the Excelsior Breeders’ Cup H. (G3) in April, but the four-year-old gelding has displayed plenty of class with top three finishes from his last three starts in the Saratoga Breeders’ Cup H. (G2), Suburban H. (G1) and Massachusetts H. (G2). Jose Santos will return to the saddle after missing the last start aboard the Barclay Tagg trainee due to injury. Evening Attire recorded a sharp five-length tally in the Saratoga Breeders’ Cup last time and the Pat Kelly-trained gelding owns a 2 3/4-length victory in this event from two years back and a third-place effort last year. Cornelio Velasquez rides the six-year-old.

The Cliff’s Edge has recorded runner-up finishes in the
Travers S. (G1), Jim Dandy (G2) and Dwyer S. (G2) in his last
three starts and the late-running colt will attempt to break
through with a victory here under new rider Gary Stevens. Love of
Money exits an impressive 8 1/2-length, front-running win in the
Pennsylvania Derby (G3) and the Richard Dutrow trainee looms as
the lone speed on Saturday.

From the rail, the contestants and riders for the Jockey Club,
which goes as the 10TH race, are The Cliff’s Edge; Love of Money,
Robby Albarado; DOMESTIC DISPUTE (Unbridled’s Song), John
Velazquez; Evening Attire; BOWMAN’S BAND (Dixieland Band), Ramon
Dominguez; NEWFOUNDLAND (Storm Cat), Edgar Prado; and Funny Cide.

Three-year-olds The Cliff’s Edge and Love of Money will carry
122 pounds while the rest will tote 126.

The $750,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (G1) will be
held one race earlier and features seven. MAGISTRETTI (Diesis
[GB]), an impressive 1 1/4-length winner in the Man o’ War S.
(G1) last time and second in the Arlington Million (G1) two back,
is one of the top contenders. Arlington Million hero KICKEN KRIS
(Kris S.) is another major threat.

The 1 1/2-mile Widener turf affair marks the first start
against older horses for KITTEN’S JOY (El Prado [Ire]), who is
seven-for-eight since moving to the turf and comes off
authoritative victories in the Secretariat S. (G1) and Virginia
Derby (G3). The Dale Romans-trained sophomore will also be making
his first appearance at the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) distance.

Three entrants have shipped from overseas. TYCOON (GB)
(Sadler’s Wells) has placed in the St Leger (Eng-G1) and Irish
Derby (Ire-G1) this season for trainer Aidan O’Brien and will be
making his U.S. bow. POLISH SUMMER (GB) (Polish Precedent), fifth
in last year’s Turf Classic, captured the Dubai Sheema Classic
(UAE-G1) in March and also owns a French Group 3 score this
season. Italian highweight MAKTUB (Ity) (Love the Groom) will
represent owner Gary Tanaka.

Kicken Kris, who breaks from the rail with Javier Castellano,
will be followed in the post parade by REQUEST FOR PAROLE (Judge
T C), Velasquez; Maktub, Jorge Chavez; Magistretti, Prado;
Kitten’s Joy, Velazquez; Tycoon, Jamie Spencer; and Polish
Summer, Stevens.

Older horses will carry 126 pounds while the three-year-olds,
Kitten’s Joy and Tycoon, will each tote 121.

The $750,000 Flower Bowl Invitational H. (G1) kicks off the
four-race Grade 1 series in the 7TH and will bring together nine
distaffers for 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf. WONDER AGAIN
(Silver Hawk), an easy winner of the Diana H. (G1) and New York
H. (G2) in her last two starts, is the 123-pound highweight.

Sheepshead Bay H. (G2) queen MOSCOW BURNING (Moscow Ballet)
and Grade 1 winner FILM MAKER (Dynaformer) are among her top
challengers.

SUPER BRAND (SAf) (Royal Chalice) will lead the call to the
post under a 118-pound impost that includes jockey Richard
Migliore. Next comes HUMAITA (Ger) (Surumu), Stevens, 118; Film
Maker, Dominguez, 120; Moscow Burning, Jose Valdivia Jr., 120;
Wonder Edgar, Prado; COMMERCANTE (Fr) (Marchand de Sable),
Velazquez, 118; AUBONNE (Ger) (Monsun), Santos, 118; INDY FIVE
HUNDRED (A.P. Indy), Pablo Fragoso, 118; and RISKAVERSE
(Dynaformer), Velasquez, 118.

The 65th running of the Vosburgh S. (G1) is the 8TH race and a
dynamite field of six has been assembled for the $500,000
six-furlong dash. SPEIGHTSTOWN (Gone West), a three-time Grade 2
winner and unbeaten from four overall starts this year, is the
top draw, but he faces quality rivals in PICO CENTRAL (Brz)
(Spend a Buck) and CAJUN BEAT (Grand Slam).

Pico Central recorded outstanding victories in the Met Mile
(G1) and Carter H. (G1) before suffering his first defeat from
five U.S. attempts in the Pat O’Brien Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) last
out. The five-year-old will attempt to bounce back here for
trainer Paulo Lobo. Bobby Frankel is the new conditioner for last
year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) hero, Cajun Beat, and sends the
speedy four-year-old colt to the gate off a six-month layoff on
Saturday.

Cajun Beat drew the innermost post with Velasquez. To their
outside are Speightstown, Velazquez; WATCHEM SMOKEY (Alphabet
Soup), Prado; VOODOO (Petionville), Chavez; EAVESDROPPER
(Kingmambo), Migliore; and Pico Central, Victor Espinoza.

All starters will carry 124 pounds.