Breeders' Cup Preview Day at Belmont

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Horse Racing

Dateline: 10/14/00

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Breeders' Cup Preview Day at Belmont Park was dominated by trainer Nick Zito. He won the Champagne with A P Valentine and the Jockey Club Gold Cup with Albert the Great, both with Jorge Chavez up, plus he had a second place in the Frizette with 47-1 longshot Out of Sync and third in the Forest Hills with Valiant Halory. In the Beldame, Riboletta staked her claim to best distaffer in the country with a decisive two length victory over Beautiful Pleasure. For several nice pictures from the day, please check out this page of photos by photographer Deborah Kral.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup


Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place  Show
 1   Albert the Great   Chavez          13.00    7.20  5.00
 6   Gander             Velazquez               13.00  7.30
 3   Vision and Verse   Castillo                      10.00

Winning Time:  1:59.24

$2 Exacta 1-6               186.00
$2 Trifecta 1-6-3          2204.00

Results Chart from Equibase

Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Albert the Great

Three year old Albert the Great turned the tables on his elders and led gate to wire, winning by 6 lengths. Lemon Drop Kid finished a disappointing 5th after being bumped at the start by Behrens but will proceed on to the Breeders' Cup Classic. His trainer Scotty Schulhofer said: "Bailey (jockey Jerry Bailey on Behrens) made `Lemon-ade' out him at the gate. It's as simple as that. Edgar (Prado) tried to take hold of him, but he never got into it after that incident. I knew it was going to be bad with Bailey being just outside of us. We'll ship to Kentucky on the 23rd."

The Beldame


Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place  Show
 1   Riboletta          McCarron         3.00    2.10  2.10
 6   Beautiful Pleasure Chavez                   2.10  2.10
 3   Pentatonic         Davis                          2.10

Winning Time:  1:46.14

$2 Exacta 1-6                 4.00

Results Chart from Equibase

Riboletta passing Beautiful Pleasure on the outside at the head of the stretch in the Beldame

As expected this was a two horse race between Riboletta and Beautiful Pleasure. Beautiful Pleasure took the lead and was as far as five lengths ahead at one point, but Riboletta tracked her in second and with a half to go started catching up to her rival. She had a 2 length lead by the head of the stretch and kept that margin safe to the wire in 1:46.14, only 3/5 off Secretariat's track record. It was another 14 1/2 lengths back to Pentatonic in third. When asked if Riboletta would be supplemented to run in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, her owner Aaron Jones said: "I don't think we'll make up our mind until the last minute. If she ran against the colts, I think she'd have better than an even chance. I think it's ridiculous to put up $800,000 to get her in the race and half that to get her in the race with the mares. We don't have to pay those big fees to get Plenty of Light in the Distaff. I think Riboletta will run again next year as long as she stays sound and it looks like she's having fun."

The Champagne


Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place  Show
 1   A P Valentine      Chavez           8.00    4.40  3.30
 2   Point Given        Desormeaux               5.20  3.70
 4   Yonaguska          Castillo                       5.00

Winning Time:  1:41.45

$2 Exacta 1-2                36.20
$2 Trifecta 1-2-4           240.00

Results Chart from Equibase

Champagne winner A P Valentine

A P Valentine was sent off as a lukewarm favorite at 3-1 and ran a very professional race, rallying up from 9th place early to win by 1 3/4 lengths on a speed favoring track. He had to go through tight quarters on the rail in deep stretch to get the lead and then drew off nicely. It was Nick Zito's third consecutive win in the Champagne and he had this to say about his win: "He is a lightly raced horse and he was put right to the test. He had nowhere to go and at the top of the lane, he was shut off and darted through the inside. Everybody had full stride, and yet, he flew. So, yes, if everything is fine we'll be looking at the Breeders' Cup (Juvenile)."

The Frizette


Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place  Show
 6   Raging Fever       Bailey           5.00    4.50  3.10
 4   Out of Sync        McCarron                22.80 15.20
 5   Western Justice    Velazquez                      8.60

Winning Time:  1:43.57

$2 Exacta 6-4               138.00
$2 Trifecta 6-4-5          1351.00

Results Chart from Equibase

Frizette winner Raging Fever

Raging Fever remains unbeated after five starts now with a 1 3/4 win in the Frizette over longshots Out of Sync and Western Justice. She will likely be the early favorite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs as well as a front runner for the 2 year old filly Eclipse Award after this win. The race was marred by the breakdown of favored Dancinginmydreams who fractured the first phalanx (just below the ankle) of her right hind leg. She was not put down and has been sent to the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania for surgery.

The Forest Hills Handicap


Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place  Show
 1   Delaware Township  Day              7.60    4.60  3.70
 3   Bevo               Migliore                10.40  6.20
 5   Valiant Halory     Prado                          4.70

Winning Time:  1:08.56

$2 Exacta 1-3                83.50
$2 Trifecta 1-3-5           522.00

Results Chart from Equibase

With blinkers off this time, Delaware Township took advantage of the speed favoring track by getting to the lead early and drawing off to a 1 1/2 length lead at the head of the stretch and maintaining that advantage to the wire. Favorite Forest Camp could not keep up with the fast fractions and faded back to fourth.

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