Belmont’s Super Saturday featuring several Horse of the
Year candidates
by Vance Hanson
While the Horse of the Year picture won’t come more into focus until after
the November 4-5 Breeders’ Cup meeting at Churchill Downs, several potential
candidates for racing’s highest honor will do their best to strengthen their
candidacies Saturday at Belmont Park, when the famed New York oval hosts its
“Super Saturday” program of six major Breeders’ Cup preps.
In the day’s most lucrative event, the $750,000 G1 Jockey Club Gold, Stay
Thisty will attempt to strengthen his claim on three-year-old divisional honors
while facing older horses for the first time over 1 1/4 miles.
One race earlier, filly sensation Havre de Grace will use the $350,000 G1
Beldame S. over 1 1/8 miles as a likely tune-up for the G1 Breeders’ Cup
Classic, which would be her second attempt against males this season after
scoring a victory in the September 3 G1 Woodward S. at Saratoga.
A dark horse threat for Horse of the Year, Cape Blanco, looms the one to beat
in the $500,000 G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic over 1 1/2 miles. The Irish invader
has found the pickings easy in two prior transatlantic jaunts this summer,
taking the G1 Man o’ War S. and G1 Arlington Million.
Though not one of the leading three-year-olds earlier in the year, Stay
Thirsty has managed to claw his way into championship contention due to
attrition in the ranks and his own improved form. Far up the track in G1 Florida
Derby and G1 Kentucky Derby following an early-season win in the G3 Gotham S.,
Stay Thirsty’s season showed signs of recovery beginning with a strong
second-place effort in the G1 Belmont S. The Todd Pletcher trainee went on to
dominate both of Saratoga’s key races for three-year-olds, the G2 Jim Dandy S.
by four lengths and the G1 Travers S. by 1 1/4 lengths.
A potential victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup got a little easier for Stay
Thirsty with the defection last weekend of G1 Metropolitan H. and G1 Whitney H.
winner Tizway, who would have been the likely favorite in the Gold Cup. Forced
to forfeit the Gold Cup after contracting a fever, the older male will now train
up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Stay Thirsty’s most serious rival Saturday is Flat Out, the impressive 6
1/2-length G2 Suburban H. winner who finished a clear second to Tizway in the
Whitney and to Havre de Grace in the Woodward in his past two outings.
The remainder of the Gold Cup field, like the older male division in general
this season, lacks depth. Three entrants, dual Greenwood Cup winner A. U. Miner,
G2 Brooklyn H. scorer Birdrun and 2010 Belmont S. winner Drosselmeyer, are
actually using the Gold Cup as a prep for the G2 Breeders’ Cup Marathon. Rodman
placed in both the Metropolitan and Suburban earlier this season, but was a
troubled eighth in the Whitney last time. Ice Box, meanwhile, is still seeking
his first stakes-placing since a second-place effort in the 2010 Kentucky Derby.
On paper, Havre de Grace stands tall over her four filly and mare rivals in
the Beldame. The Larry Jones-trained four-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable
four-for-five season thus far, kicking things off with a 3 1/4-length victory
over arch-rival Blind Luck in the G3 Azeri S. at Oaklawn Park in March. After
scores in the G1 Apple Blossom H. and G3 Obeah S., Havre de Grace bowed to Blind
Luck by a nose in a thrilling renewal of the G2 Delaware H.
Havre de Grace successfully stepped out of the box last time to face males in
the Woodward, where she defeated Flat Out by a comfortable 1 1/4 lengths, thus
enhancing her Horse of the Year qualifications. Her victory was only the second
ever by a filly in the Woodward, coming two years after Rachel Alexandra’s
historic win that netted her a Horse of the Year title.
The biggest challenge to Havre de Grace should come from Royal Delta, who is
vying for a divisional title herself as the nation’s best three-year-old filly.
Heroine of the G1 Alabama S. by 5 1/2 lengths last time, Royal Delta also
captured the G2 Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico back in May. Royal Delta is using
the Beldame as a prep for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic.
The remainder of the field — Life at Ten, Banker’s Buy and Satans Quick
Chick — appear overmatched on current form.
With the best European races pretty much covered by other stars in the Aidan
O’Brien yard, Irish classic winner Cape Blanco has been asked to carve out a
niche in the United States this season. The four-year-old chestnut has come
through with flying colors so far, handing most of the leading American grass
horses beatings in the Man o’ War and Arlington Million. He will a face a few of
the same rivals again in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, a prelude toward the G1
Breeders’ Cup Turf.
New to Cape Blanco, however, is Winchester, who captured the 2010 Turf
Classic on extremely boggy ground. Never worse than second in four appearances
on Belmont’s two turf courses, Winchester signaled his return to fine form with
a last-to-first rally in the August 13 G1 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga.
Previously left in Cape Blanco’s wake in the Arlington Million were Dean’s
Kitten, who finished third, and Mission Approved, who finished seventh. The
latter also ran fourth to Cape Blanco in the Man o’ War, but the G1 Manhattan H.
upsetter could still prove dangerous as the race’s lone speed.
Teaks North, whose victories this season include the G1 United Nations S., G1
Gulfstream Park Turf S. and G3 Monmouth S., was only fourth in the Sword Dancer
last time, while Grassy enters off a narrow win versus lesser in the G2 Bowling
Green H.