Aptitude, winner of the 2001 Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Jockey Club Gold Cup Day at Belmont

Dateline: 10/06/01

Saturday was the final round of major preps for the Breeders' Cup at Belmont Park with the Jockey Club Gold Cup and four other Graded stakes races on the card. The day started off dreary and rainy, but the rain cleared before first post and the clouds cleared away. The track had been sealed the night before and amazingly turned up fast, although the turf course remained yielding.

Aptitude wins by 10 lengths!

Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place   Show
 2   Aptitude           Bailey           4.80    3.60   3.60
 3   Generous Rosi      Chavez                  12.20  11.00
 7   Country Be Gold    Davis                          16.60

Winning Time:  2:01.49

$2 Exacta 2-3               69.00
$2 Trifecta  2-3-7         754.00

Aptitude takes his walk down victory lane. With this victory, jockey Jerry Bailey broke the record for single-season earnings for a jockey with $19,841,901 so far this year. The old mark was also held by Bailey and was set in 1996.

Second place finisher Generous Rosi. Trainer Niall O'Callighan said: "I thought he had enough speed to set the pace. Jorge followed my directions and did a great job to get second with him. I didn't think he was good enough to win the race, especially against some of the best horses in the country. We were hoping to finish at least third with him. I doubt the Breeders' Cup is in out plans. We're considering the Clark Handicap or the Japan Cup on the dirt.

Favorite Albert the Great finished a dull fourth, beaten 19 3/4 lengths. Jockey Gary Stevens said: "I have no excuse. He was relaxed down the backstretch and was in the clear. I asked him to pick it up at the quarter-pole and got no response."

Forbidden Apple gets through on the rail to win the Kelso for the second year in a row.

Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place   Show
 3   Forbidden Apple    Santos           6.00    3.90   3.00
 1   Sarafan            Espinoza                 9.20   5.50
 6   City Zip           Chavez                          5.10

Winning Time:  1:36.77

$2 Exacta 3-3               56.50
$2 Trifecta1 3-1-6         451.00

Forbidden Apple preparing to go in the winner's circle. Trainer Christophe Clement said: "This horse loves the Belmont turf course and running in the fall. It also helped that the course came up yeilding. We were boxed in at the quarter-pole, but Jose found an opening and the horse drew away at the end."

Second place finisher Sarafan in the post parade. He shipped in from California for trainer Neil Drysdale after being imported from England last year.

Exogenous withstood an inquiry to keep her win over Flute and Spain.

Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place   Show
 5   Exogenous          Castellano       9.20    3.20   2.40
 4   Flute              Bailey                   2.50   2.10
 3   Spain              Espinoza                        3.10

Winning Time:  1:49.20

$2 Exacta 5-4               16.40
$2 Trifecta  5-4-3          85.00

Exogenous in the winner's circle. Trainer Scotty Schulhofer said: "When I watched it the first time I knew she kind of squeezed in a little bit. It didn't look that bad. Then I saw the rerun. It looked like it could go either way. I thought she was much the best. I didn't think she bothered them that much. If she wins the Breeders' Cup Distaff she's got to be 3-Year-Old Filly of the Year."

Second place finisher Flute in the paddock. Trainer Bobby Frankel said: "She ran good. This should set her up well for the Breeders' Cup. I don't think I would have taken the winner down. She might have bothered the middle horse (Spain) more than we were bothered."

Officer blows them away by 3 3/4 lengths handily.

Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place   Show
 4   Officer            Espinoza         2.60    2.10   2.10
 2   Jump Start         Day                      3.10   2.10
 3   Heavyweight Champ  Bailey                          2.10

Winning Time:  1:43.39

$2 Exacta 4-2                7.80

Officer in the paddock prior to the race. Trainer Bob Baffert said: "He's a super horse. He was challenged and dug in. He does things so easily. He wasn't blowing or anything coming back."

Second place finisher Jump Start in the paddock. Jockey Pat Day said: "He was much more focused with the blinkers. He was in good stalking position and put in a good run. We just finished second-best to an impressive winner."

You all alone at the finish in the Frizette.

Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place   Show
 3   You                Prado            4.80    2.40   2.10
 1   Cashier's Dream    Meche                    2.40   2.10
 5   Riskaverse         Davis                           2.10

Winning Time:  1:43.94

$2 Exacta 3-1                7.80

You after the race. Trainer Bobby Frankel said: "She'll be all set for the Breeders' Cup. Hopefully, she'll come into the Breeders' Cup the same way she did here. We still have three weeks to go, and things can happen, so we can't get too excited yet."

Second place finisher Cashier's Dream in the post parade. Trainer Steve Asmussen said: "She ran a good race. It was a valiant effort. She just couldn't outrun You over a distance of ground. I don't want to speak about the Breeders' Cup just yet. Let's give her a chance and see how she responds."

Photos ©2001 Cindy Pierson Dulay, licensed to About.

Breeders' Cup logo courtesy of the Breeders' Cup Limited

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