THOROUGHBRED BEAT
JULY 27, 2005
by James Scully
Spa – Racing moves to upstate New York on Wednesday and the first week
is often wet, with grass races tormented by rain. Todd Pletcher and John
Velazquez have dominated the Spa with record-setting performances over the last two seasons, but don’t look for
runaway victories this year. Bill Mott, who won the recent Belmont
Spring/Summer meet and owns eight Saratoga training titles, and Richard Dutrow,
who returns from suspension on August 1, have the stock to compete with the Eclipse
Award-winning Pletcher. Edgar Prado, who has gotten off to a slow start at the Spa the last two years, proved
best by a wide margin at Belmont and is poised to make a run for his first
Saratoga title. Rafael Bejarano will add depth to the jockey colony.
3yo sensation – SMUGGLER (Unbridled) moved to the head of her
class with a stellar 3 1/2-length triumph in Saturday’s Coaching Club American
Oaks (G1) and is poised to record a sweep in New York’s re-configured Triple
Tiara with a victory in the August 20 Alabama S. (G1). A neck winner of the
Mother Goose S. (G1) in her previous outing, the rapidly improving Shug
McGaughey-trained sophomore filly is the newest star from the
mighty Phipps Stable. Her dam, 1995 champion mare and 13 1/2-length Breeders’
Cup Distaff (G1) heroine Inside Information (Private Account), is one of the
best distaffers to wear the black and red silks.
Sweet Read – SWEET RETURN (GB) (Elmaamul) added to the appeal of the
August 13 Arlington Million (G1) with a strong performance in Sunday’s Eddie
Read H. (G1) at Del Mar. The five-year-old chestnut recorded his second-consecutive Grade 1 score with the front-running, 1 1/2-length victory over a
talented cast of rivals, and the Ron McAnally charge earned a career-best 113 BRIS Late Pace rating while completing the final eighth of a mile in :11 1/5
over the firm Jimmy Durante Turf Course. Winner of the 10-furlong Charles
Whittingham Memorial (G1) in his previous start, Sweet Return will square off
next against champion turf horse Kitten’s Joy (El Prado [Ire]), who will face
his first serious test in Chicago since having surgery over the winter.
Mabee – Horse-for-the-course AMORAMA (Fr) (Sri Pekan) got up in deep
stretch to capture Saturday’s John C. Mabee H. (G1), her first victory since
last year’s Del Mar Oaks (G1), and trainer Julio Canani would probably love to
run the four-year-old filly twice more over the sod at Del Mar this meet if he
could. Grade 1 queen and 6-5 favorite INTERCONTINENTAL (GB) (Danehill) finished
a troubled third, offering a similar performance to her lard-luck fifth in last
year’s Diana H. (G1), which also was the last time she tried nine furlongs. The
five-year-old mare will often create her own problems with rank behavior during
the early stages of a race, but she’s displayed a knack for overcoming trouble
many times. Intercontinental found herself stuck with no place to go through the
stretch of the Mabee, checking repeatedly, and the traffic woes got the best of
her in her Del Mar debut. She’s better anyway at a mile or 1 1/16 miles.
6f in 1:06 4/5 – KEEP THE FAITH (Aus) (Sunday Silence), a
five-year-old Australian stakes winner making his first U.S. start for Godolphin,
established a new North American mark for six furlongs on the turf when
capturing an optional claiming/allowance event in 1:06.82 on Sunday’s closing
day program at Belmont Park. The dark bay horse stalked fractions of :21 4/5 and
:44 1/5 under John Velazquez before surging along the rail to a clear lead in
midstretch and going on to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Keep the Faith became the first
horse to complete six grassy furlongs in less than 1:07.
Cornelio – Saturday proved to be Cornelio Velasquez Day at Arlington
Park as the Panamanian jockey swept the Million Preview Day stakes, winning the
American Derby (G2) aboard Gun Salute (Military), Arlington H. (G3) on Cool
Conductor (Stravinsky) and Modesty H. (G3) with Noisette (Broad Brush). None
were favored. “Every jockey needs good horses to ride, and I got lucky today
with three of them,” the New York-based Velasquez said.
Lost vs. Bellamy – Trainer Nick Zito has announced that Kentucky Derby
(G1) favorite BELLAMY ROAD (Concerto), who created a stir earlier this year when
capturing the nine-furlong Wood Memorial (G1) by a record-setting 17 1/2
lengths, will return to the races in the August 27 King’s Bishop S. (G1). That’s
also the next race for unbeaten sprint sensation LOST IN THE FOG (Lost Soldier),
who owns three Grade 2 victories. Bellamy Road was pointed toward the Kentucky
Derby earlier this year, but he owns a ton of natural speed and is well-suited
to seven furlongs. Lost in the Fog not only faces the prospect of taking on the
toughest challenger in his career, he’ll be making his sixth trip east (to
either New York or Florida) from Northern California this year for trainer Greg
Gilchrist. That much traveling could catch up to a horse sooner or later.
No more fouling – Pat Valenzuela is suspended for the next three days
(Wednesday-Friday) due to a questionable disqualification on the opening day at
Del Mar, and there seemed to be more claims of foul than usual during the
opening week at the seaside track. It makes sense for horsemen to file an
objection for anything they perceive as trouble because the stewards display a
critical eye in California and like to take ’em down.