Son of Go for Gin leads throughout for first stakes score; Lemon Drop Kid wins Suburban

For trainer Nick Zito, the final piece of the puzzle that was Albert the Great clicked into place eight days prior to the $145,500 Dwyer Stakes (G2), when the long-striding son of his 1994 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Go for Gin zipped five furlongs in :59 without benefit of blinkers. Winner of three straight races under Richard Migliore since being outfitted with blinkers in April, that work told Zito that the big, lanky bay was ready to make his stakes debut against Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Red Bullet, Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Commendable, and multiple graded winner More Than Ready.

Dwyer S. (G2)
Belmont Park, July 9, $145,500, 11/16 miles, fast, 1:42.62
1-ALBERT THE GREAT, c. 3, Go for Gin-Bright Feather, by Fappiano.
2-More Than Ready, c. 3, Southern Halo-Woodman's Girl, by Woodman.
3-Red Bullet, c. 3, Unbridled-Cargo, by Caro (Ire).

"He's had 30 days of great training," said Zito of Albert the Great, who scored that third victory in a nine-furlong allowance at Belmont Park the day before Commendable took the Belmont. "When he went in :59 without blinkers, I could see he was at the top of his game."

On paper at least, Albert the Great would have to be better than ever to have a chance in the 1 1/16-mile Dwyer. Unraced last season due to "typical two-year-old problems," the colt made his debut on January 22 at Gulfstream Park but did not break his maiden until his fifth start at Keeneland three months later.

In the same time period, Red Bullet won the Gotham Stakes (G2) and finished second to eventual Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2). The precocious More Than Ready had just run an exceptional race to finish second in the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) to High Yield in his tenth lifetime start. Even Commendable, not among the more prominent of D. Wayne Lukas's three-year-olds at the time, had brought home a paycheck in each of his three graded stakes starts to that point.

Zito, whose 2000 Triple Crown hopes were dashed when 1999 Champagne Stakes (G1) winner Greenwood Lake suffered an injury the week before the Florida Derby (G1), was bringing Albert the Great up to the "second season" with cautious optimism. In the days before the Dwyer, he said he felt the colt belonged with the top three-year-olds and figured the Dwyer was an ideal spot for him despite the high caliber opposition.

Zito was right.

Quick start

When the gates flew open, Albert the Great outbroke the field and sped to an easy lead. Racing well off the rail, he was never really challenged and surged to a three-length victory over More Than Ready, who was making his first start since finishing fourth in the May 6 Kentucky Derby. Odds-on (3-to-5) favorite Red Bullet, who was unruly in the gate and had not run since upending Fusaichi Pegasus in the Preakness on May 20, tired and was 13Ú4 lengths back in third. Commendable finished a half-length back in fourth in the four-horse field.

"I don't have much to stay," said a subdued Joe Orseno, trainer of Red Bullet. "He's never tried anything like that in the gate before, and he was totally flat. Jerry (Bailey) didn't have an explanation for it. We'll have to re-think our plans."

Both Todd Pletcher, trainer of More Than Ready, and Lukas said they were satisfied with the efforts of their horses.

"For not having raced in two months, it was a good race for him," said Pletcher. "He beat the Preakness and Belmont winners and finished second." "This was not the immediate goal for Commendable," said Lukas. "I think we got a good effort that will put us in better position later."

Zito, as was to be expected, was ecstatic about Albert the Great, who covered the distance in 1:42.62 after a soft first quarter-mile in :24.18.

"To beat a Preakness and a Belmont winner and a great horse like More Than Ready, it's a tremendous feat," said Zito. "Now that it's over, you can come up with a million reasons why you won. I think Red Bullet, coming off the Preakness win and having time off; Commendable, coming off the 1 1/2-mile Belmont; and More Than Ready, coming off a tough race in the Derby, all favored Albert."

Still, Zito noted, "It takes an exceptional horse to come off allowance wins and beat those type of horses."

Owned by Tracy Farmer, Albert the Great will make his next start in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on August 5 in preparation for the Travers Stakes (G1) on August 26.

"I'm very happy to be involved in the second half," said Zito. "This is one of my best days."

Named for his Kentucky breeder Albert Clay, Alfred the Great (out of Bright Feather, by Fappiano) has now won 4-of-8 starts and earned $188,870. He is the first stakes winner from the first crop of Go for Gin.

Lemon Drop Kid's fireworks

The chief subject of the crayon drawings in trainer Flint S. "Scotty" Schulhofer's office, courtesy of his secretary's young daughter, is Lemon Drop Kid, who made his initial appearance on the wall last year after winning the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Suburban H. (G2)
Belmont Park, July 4, $500,000, 11/4 miles, fast, 1:58.97
1-LEMON DROP KID, c. 4, Kingmambo-Charming Lassie, by Seattle Slew.
2-Behrens, h. 6, Pleasant Colony-Hot Novel, by Mari's Book.
3-Lager, g. 6, Pleasant Tap-Lady Ghislaine, by Diesis (GB).

These days, the four-year-old son of Kingmambo out of Charming Lassie, by Seattle Slew, is sporting a new feature-a set of blinkers he was outfitted with prior to the June 11 Brooklyn Handicap (G2). Duly sharpened, Lemon Drop Kid ran off to an eye-opening 7 1/4-length victory in that race. On Independence Day, he added an authoritative 21Ú2-length win over Behrens in the $500,000 Suburban Handicap (G2).

"He's finally got focused," said Schulhofer of Jeanne Vance's colt, who has won three of his five starts this year. "He just keeps on running." Under jockey Edgar Prado, Lemon Drop Kid broke well and was reserved just outside Wild Imagination, with Behrens running up close on the rail, with early fractions of :23.61, :46.78, and 1:09.94. As Behrens angled off the rail on the turn, Lemon Drop Kid was able to move up quickly to take a narrow lead at the head of the stretch. The classic winner then steadily pulled clear through the final yards to hit the wire in 1:58.97, the second-fastest running of the Suburban. It was only the fourth time the race has been run in under two minutes: In Excess (Ire), in 1991, set the stakes record with a time of 1:58 1/5, with Dr. Fager (1968) and Silver Buck (1982) both winning in 1:59 3/5.

Behrens, making his first start since finishing second to Dubai Millennium in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 25, finished 4 1/4 lengths in front of Lager, who was followed by J. R. Holmes, Wild Imagination, and Almutawakel (GB).

"He got a little tired," jockey Jorge Chavez said of Behrens. "Lemon Drop Kid got the jump on us, but I don't think it mattered. Behrens hasn't run in a while and it was a good effort, but he was tired when I pulled him up. This should set him up nicely for the Whitney (Handicap [G1]). It's nice to have a six-year-old like him still in training."

Lemon Drop Kid, who was the 4-to-5 favorite, earned $300,000, boosting his bankroll to $2,139,970 and his lifetime record to eight wins in 20 starts. His next outing, said Schulhofer, will be the $750,000 Whitney on August 6 at Saratoga.

A Success on turf

The July 4 holiday also featured the $100,000 Poker Handicap (G2), a race in which the sprinter Affirmed Success was making his turf debut. "After he lost two Breeders' Cup Sprints in a row, we decided six furlongs wasn't his game," said trainer Richard Schosberg.

Poker H. (G3)
Belmont Park, July 4, $113,800, 1 mile, turf, good, 1:34.06
1-AFFIRMED SUCCESS, g. 6, Affirmed-Towering Success, by Irish Tower.
2-Rabi (Ire), h. 5, Alzao-=Sharakawa (Ire), by =Darshaan (GB).
3-Weatherbird, h. 5, Kingmambo-Token Dance, by Sovereign Dancer.

The result was very encouraging to his connections, as Affirmed Success raced just off the early pace set by Strategic Mission, then took command at the head of the stretch and drew clear to beat Rabi (Ire) by 1 3/4 lengths, with Weatherbird another half-length back in the field of ten. Divide and Conquer broke down on the turn with a compound fracture in his right hind leg and was euthanized on the track. Time for the mile on good turf was 1:34.06.

Albert Fried's gelded six-year-old by Affirmed may start next in the $200,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G2) at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Saratoga on August 26 in preparation for the $1-million Atto Mile Stakes (Can-G1) at one mile on turf at Woodbine on September 10.

"But he is a Breeders' Cup horse," Schlosberg said. "He has that kind of talent. So our only other alternative was to put him on the turf and see if he could make the (Breeders' Cup) Mile (G1)."

Elhayq surprises in Bowling Green

Elhayq (Ire), who was making his third start in the United States, made it 2-for-2 on Lasix when charging up between horses at the head of the stretch and running off to record a 2 3/4-length victory over Yankee Dollar in the $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap (G2) on July 8.

Bowling Green H. (G2)
Belmont Park, July 8, $150,000, 13/8 miles, turf, firm, 2:13.81
1-ELHAYQ (Ire), h. 5, Nashwan-Mahasin, by Danzig.
2-Yankee Dollar, c. 4, Red Ransom-Lorient, by Fappiano.
3-Carpenter's Halo, g. 4, Sunny's Halo-Carpenter's Lace, by Woodman.

"The first time we ran him, we scoped him and found some blood, so we put him on Lasix," said Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains the son of Nashwan out of Mahasin, by Danzig, for Shadwell Stable. "I hadn't known he was a bleeder." Under rider Shaun Bridgmohan, Elhayq stayed fairly close to the early pace, then took off once clear at the head of the stretch. He won in final time of 2:13.81 for the 1 3/8 miles on firm turf. Yankee Critic held second by a neck over Carpenter's Halo, with Incitatus (Bar) fourth in the nine-horse field.

"I couldn't have asked for a better trip," Bridgmohan said. "He really accelerated in the stretch, and I knew no one was going to catch him." Elhayq, who was the 15-to-1 sixth betting choice, may make his next start in the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap (G1) at Saratoga on August 12.

NOTES-Making only her fourth lifetime start, I'm Brassy made her stakes debut a winning one when holding on gamely to win the $150,000 Prioress Stakes (G2) by a neck over Dat You Miz Blue on July 3. Owned by Iron Lance Stables, the three-year-old daughter of Dixie Brass out of Mrs. O'Reilly, by What Luck, covered the six furlongs in 1:09.53 on a fast track. ... City Zip, a two-year-old son of Carson City trained by Linda Rice, earned his second victory in five starts when taking the $100,000 Tremont Stakes (G3) on July 3 despite losing a shoe.