Captures Metropolitan; Postponed victorious

Looking over the deep and speedy field for the $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park, Yankee Victor's trainer, Carlos Morales, had but one wish. Actually, he had two wishes.

Metropolitan H. (G1)
Belmont Park, May 29, $750,000, 1 mile, fast, 1:34.64
1—YANKEE VICTOR, c. 4, Saint Ballado—Highest Carol, by Caro (Ire).
2—Honest Lady, f. 4, Seattle Slew—Toussaud, by El Gran Senor.
3—Sir Bear, g. 7, Sir Leon—Spicy Pearl, by Bet Big.

"The first," Morales said, "was to draw outside. The second was that it would not be a wet track."

If Morales had paid any attention to the weather forecasters in New York, he would have been seriously depressed in the days leading up to the Memorial Day holiday even after drawing the outside post position in the field of eight for Met Mile on May 29. The field included 1999 winner Sir Bear; 121-pound co-highweight Richter Scale, winner of four straight; and the filly Honest Lady.

A combination of rain and chilly temperatures had been forecast for the 107th running of the Metropolitan Handicap, but Morales, buoyed by his good fortune in the post-position draw, steadfastly clung to his hope for good weather. And after a chilly start to the holiday, Morales's wishes were granted. By post time, the sun was beaming down on a crowd of 18,771, and the fast, dry track was playing perfectly.

Under hot jockey Heberto Castillo Jr., Yankee Victor (carrying 117 pounds) flashed good speed early to settle behind Straight Man, who led through the first half-mile in fractions of :23.06 and :45.58. Yankee Victor then charged up to take over on the turn and drew off to a 43/4-length victory over the closing Honest Lady for his third straight win.

"Once we drew outside we knew we had different options," said Castillo. "We were expecting the first quarter in :21 or :22, but I didn't want to discourage my horse. We felt he could dictate the race from the outside."

The newfound confidence in Yankee Victor, a four-year-old son of Saint Ballado out of Highest Carol, by Caro (Ire), has developed only recently. After a sixth-place finish in an allowance at Gulfstream Park, Morales determined that one of the colt's testicles was bothering him, evidenced by his actions after changing leads in the stretch. After that race, the testicle was removed, and his form turned around. Yankee Victor has won 3-of-4 starts since the surgery.

"Completely different," said Morales of Yankee Victor, who completed the mile in 1:34.64 for his first Grade 1 win. "He changed completely."

Yankee Victor, owned by Moreton Binn and Enllomar Stable, finished second in the Creme Fraiche Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream in his first start after the operation and then won the Westchester Handicap (G3) and a one-mile allowance at Aqueduct.

"Heading into the race, it was a concern because he had only run against Grade 1 competition once before (in last fall's Cigar Mile Handicap [G1] at Aqueduct), and he didn't do so well," Morales said. "In the stretch, I was shaking so much because I couldn't believe he was winning so easily."

In winning his eighth race in 18 career starts, 4.30-to-1 Yankee Victor earned $450,000 and increased his earnings to $833,806, while Honest Lady finished three-quarters of a length in front of third-place finisher Sir Bear. "She ran great," jockey Jerry Bailey said of Honest Lady. "She was moving but no one was going to beat the winner."

Completing the order of finish were favorite Big Jag, Liberty Gold, Richter Scale, Western Expression, and Straight Man. "This was the first time he was trying this distance and he just seemed to tire," said Alex Solis, aboard the beaten favorite and co-highweight Big Jag, who went off at 2.60-to-1.

Postponed's Peter Pan

Two weeks before the 1999 Belmont Stakes (G1), a rangy bay colt named Lemon Drop Kid lost to Best of Luck in the 11/8-mile Peter Pan Stakes (G2). In the hullabaloo surrounding Charismatic's bid to become the 12th Triple Crown winner, Lemon Drop Kid's effort in the Peter Pan was, in a word, overlooked. But on June 5 in the Belmont it was Jeanne Vance's colt who crossed the finish line first, giving Racing Hall of Fame trainer Scotty Schulhofer his second victory in the Belmont.

Peter Pan S. (G2)
Belmont Park, May 27, $200,000, 11/8 miles, fast, 1:49.71
1—POSTPONED, c. 3, Summer Squall—Bridal Tea, by Gulch.
2—Unshaded, g. 3, Unbridled—Shade the Flame, by Caucasus.
3—Globalize, c. 3, Summer Squall—Sugar Hill Chick, by Fit to Fight.

This year's Belmont will feature no Triple Crown bid nor even a rematch of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winners. While Fusaichi Pegasus's trainer, Neil Drysdale, said it was still too early to commit to the 11/2-mile race, Red Bullet's trainer, Joe Orseno, said on May 28 that his colt was not going to run in the Belmont and was being pointed instead toward the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) at Monmouth Park on August 6 and the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course on August 26.

But even before Orseno's announcement, the connections of last year's winner were hoping to catch lightning in a bottle once again with a three-year-old son of Summer Squall out of Bridal Tea, by Gulch, who bears a striking resemblance to his older stablemate.

Postponed, ridden by Edgar Prado, earned a berth in the Triple Crown finale with a gutty performance in the Peter Pan, the steppingstone to Belmont victory for such horses as A.P. Indy, *Gallant Man, Coastal, and Danzig Connection.

Finding room along the rail in the upper stretch, Prado sent Postponed through a wall of horses and on to a three-quarter-length victory over favored Unshaded, with Globalize another three-quarters of a length back in third.

"He shot through a small opening that was just large enough—it was real tight for a moment," said Prado, who with the win earned career victory number 3,999 (his 4,000th occurred the following day). "When he saw the horse on the outside he got game and finished extremely well. He should get better."

Postponed, 9.60-to-1, completed the 11/8 miles in 1:49.71 for his third victory in eight starts and first stakes victory. He was 1-for-3 as a juvenile, and after winning an allowance race to kick off his three-year-old campaign finished fifth in the Florida Derby (G1) and sixth in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2), beaten 13 and 11 lengths, respectively. He then skipped the Kentucky Derby, returning to action on May 3 in a nine-furlong allowance race at Aqueduct in which he finished a game second by a neck.

"This is a real nice little horse—he's grown up a lot since those races in Florida, and I may have run him a little prematurely in some of those stakes," said Schulhofer, who won the1994 Peter Pan with Twining. "He's bred to go long, and he showed it today, but he'll be picking up a lot of weight in that race (13 pounds)."

The connections of Unshaded and Globalize said they were not sure whether they would run their horses back in the Belmont, but the defection of Red Bullet would, as Schulhofer said, open things up.

"I thought he ran a terrific race," said Carl Nafzger, trainer of Unshaded. "He gave ten pounds to the winner today, and he was able to get close to the winner near the end."

Three horses, Unshaded, Globalize, and Tahkodha Hills, carried co-highweight of 123 pounds. Following the first three under the wire were Tahkodha Hills, Big E E, Scottish Halo, Bare Outline, Slew Valley, and Runspastum.

Gone Fishin's Jaipur

The shortest graded turf stakes in New York is the seven-furlong Jaipur Handicap (G3), and this year's edition set up perfectly for the late-closing Gone Fishin.

Jaipur H. (G3)
Belmont Park, May 28, $87,150, 7 furlongs, turf, good, 1:21.73
1—GONE FISHIN, c. 4, Honor Grades—Exangular Lady, by Exuberant.
2—Weatherbird, h. 5, Kingmambo—Token Dance, by Sovereign Dancer.
3—French Envoy, c. 4, Deputy Minister—Princess Mitterand, by Seattle Slew.

With Bold Fact being chased through fast early fractions of :22.84 and :45.70 by 70-to-1 shot Magnificent Boy, Dogwood Stable's Gone Fishin rallied three-wide through the stretch to post a 21/2-length victory over Weatherbird, with French Envoy finishing third.

In winning for the second time in four starts, 5.50-to-1 Gone Fishin covered the distance on good turf in 1:21.73.

"I couldn't have asked for a better trip," said winning rider John Velazquez. "He relaxed great and had a clear shot at the leader."

Completing the order of finish were Watchman's Warning, Cornish Snow, Bold Fact, Chasin' Wimmin, 3.05-to-1 favorite Beckon the King, who had nowhere to run, Vision of Nights, Notoriety, Press Type, and Magnificent Boy.

In his last start, Gone Fishin came flying after being sent nine-wide in a five-furlong race at Churchill Downs, a race trainer Todd Pletcher termed something of an experiment with the son of Honor Grades—Exangular Lady, by Exuberant.

"He broke slow and was flying late," said Pletcher, adding that the Poker Handicap (G3) on July 4 could be his next start. "We thought that at 51/2 furlongs or six he would have been right there; so it made sense to try seven furlongs. He's found a home on grass."