Saturday’s Results
I thought Bishop Court Hill was entered as a rabbit for Flower Alley in Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont, charged with luring Lava Man into a speed duel and setting up a pace agreeable to his stalker stablemate. Instead, Flower Alley went head to head with his rabbit down the backstretch, followed by Lava Man. The first fraction was :46.3. A fast pace like that set up the race nicely for a closer — like Borrego. The California-based colt trailed the field in eighth place until reaching the stretch turn, when he smoothly swept past his competition on the outside into the lead, winning by four and half lengths.
“When it happened, I wanted to cry,” trainer Beau Greely said afterward. “It was pretty neat. This is a big deal” (New York Daily News). Borrego will now be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Flower Alley, who finished fourth, is also headed to the Classic. Trainer Todd Pletcher explained his colt’s curious performance by saying,
The Classic will have a decidedly California flavor with the additional presence of the Goodwood winner, Rock Hard Ten. Making his first start in seven months, Rock Hard Ten stalked pacesetter Roman Ruler around the Santa Anita track before surging past the three-year-old in the stretch and winning by a length. “By the time we got to the quarter pole, it was just a matter of how far I wanted to win by, and when I wanted to ask him,” said jockey Gary Stevens. “I asked and it was over in two strides” (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Super Derby winner The Daddy could be going to the Classic too. “If we run again this year, we will run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” said owner Greg Norman (Shreveport Times). The Daddy, with a bugboy aboard (Star-Telegram) and making only his fourth career start, beat the D. Wayne Lukas-trained A.P. Arrow by a neck in the Derby.
The race was marred by the sudden death of Royal Saint in the stretch (Shreveport Times):
Jockey Guy Smith was uninjured in the spill. “I hit the ground hard and I’m a little weak, but I’m good,” Smith said later.
Also on Saturday …
Ashado bounced back into form with an easy win in the Beldame at Belmont. As good as Ashado looked, it was runner-up Happy Ticket that impressed. “This was the best she had ever run against. She proved herself here,” said trainer Andrew Leggio, Jr. (Courier-Journal). The Louisiana-bred filly is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff with a record of 10-for-12. Before the Beldame, Happy Ticket’s only other loss came running second to Madcap Escapade in the Princess Rooney.
Lost in the Fog is now 10-for-10. “That was real hard, huh,” said jockey Russell Baze after Lost in the Fog won the Speed Handicap at Bay Meadows (San Francisco Chronicle).
Beyers: Rock Hard Ten, 112, Goodwood; Borrego, 110, Jockey Club Gold Cup; Lost in the Fog, 114, Speed Handicap; Taste of Paradise, 110, Vosburgh; Ashado, 103, Beldame; Megahertz, 101, Yellow Ribbon Stakes.
