Belmont opens its spring meeting with $4-million in improvements, with stakes won by Johnson and Frankel trainees

WHEN the wrought iron gates along Hempstead Turnpike swung open on May 10 to usher in the 2000 racing season at Belmont Park, there were plenty of changes awaiting the 5,232 fans who ventured out on an unseasonably cold and windy Wednesday afternoon.

Among the $4-million worth of improvements were a new sound system on the first and second floors so fans finally could clearly hear for themselves just how terrific racecaller Tom Durkin is, a fabulous 101-foot mural by artist Pierre "Peb" Bellocq depicting the past 100 years of racing (see page 6), and several hundred additional television monitors scattered throughout the quarter-mile-long grandstand.

But what they saw on those monitors had a most familiar aspect to it, as a pair of Racing Hall of Fame trainers walked off with the first two of the 38 stakes planned for the 55-day spring-summer meet.

On opening day, Philip G. Johnson saddled C'Est L'Amour to victory in the $150,000 Nassau County Stakes (G3), and three days later New York expatriate Bobby Frankel sent out Imperfect World to upset the Jimmy Jerkens-trained Tropical Punch in the $150,000 Genuine Risk Handicap (G2).

While Frankel has enjoyed considerable success this year shipping horses east—winning the Distaff Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) with Honest Lady and finishing no worse than third in three other stakes—few trainers had experienced the kind of roll Jerkens has been enjoying since April 1. From 21 starters at Aqueduct, the son of Racing Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens had saddled 11 winners, including Lager in the Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap (G3) and Big E E in the Withers Stakes (G3).

Jerkens did not win Aqueduct's trainers' title, however, as Juan Serey sent out 24 winners while Aaron Gryder, with 36 winners, took the jockeys' title. Stronach Stable, headlined by Gotham Stakes (G2) winner Red Bullet, was the leading owner with nine wins.

Imperfect Risk

After solid victories in two allowance races, graded stakes-placed Tropical Punch was seeking her first graded stakes victory in the six-furlong Genuine Risk, which drew a short field of seven including the winner of last year's race, Foil. In Frankel's absence, Imperfect World was saddled by Richard Dutrow Jr.

Genuine Risk H. (G2)
Belmont Park, May 13, $150,000, 6 furlongs, fast, 1:10
1—IMPERFECT WORLD, f. 4, Carson City—Mais Oui, by Lyphard.
2—Gold Princess, m. 5, Prospector's Halo—Needles Lady, by On to Glory.
3—Tropical Punch, f. 4, Two Punch—Abovehawaii, by Great Above.

A four-year-old chestnut daughter of Carson City—Mais Oui, by Lyphard, Imperfect World had won the Prix du Bois (Fr-G3) at Deauville as a two-year-old but did not win again until she arrived in the United States late in her three-year-old season. She was placed first through disqualification in her U.S. debut on turf, ran well in her next three starts, and drew off to an impressive two-length victory in an allowance race on dirt under Alex Solis at Keeneland Race Course on April 20.

Indeed, when jockey Robbie Davis spoke with Frankel about the Genuine Risk, the conversation centered on what had transpired in that 61/2-furlong race.

"His main concern was whether I had seen her last race and Keeneland, and I had," Davis said.

"She was up on heels with a little slower pace—she's not a real big filly to be pushing horses out of the way. My goal with her was a clear path."

That is precisely what the patient Davis got. With New Heaven (Arg), dogged by Foil, setting pressured fractions of :22.10 and :44.90, Imperfect World enjoyed a ground-saving trip and then shot through a huge hole to post a half-length victory over the fast-closing Gold Princess, a 35.75-to-1 shot, in the 17th running of the Genuine Risk. Imperfect World's time for the six furlongs on a fast track was 1:10.

"There was a lot of speed in this race, which there wasn't in her last," owner Michel Zerolo said of Imperfect World, who improved her career record to 5-2-1 from 14 starts, boosting her bankroll to $249,773. She was the 4.90-to-1 fourth choice.

"It was a hot pace up front, and my goal was to get a clear path," Davis said. "Turning for home, I found an opening and cut the corner. She was full of run in the lane. She never let up and was good enough to win today."

Favored Tropical Punch stumbled at the gate and ran valiantly to finish third, beaten a total of 13/4 lengths.

"She grabbed her (left front) quarter pretty bad at the start," Jerkens said. "It looks pretty bad and will probably take a long time to heal."

Gold Princess made a powerful run late but could not overtake the winner. She is now winless in six starts this year for trainer Gary Sciacca. Following Tropical Punch under the wire were Foil, Dream for a Moment, New Heaven, and Changing Seasons.

Love in Nassau County

Opening day for the spring meeting at Belmont—which, despite being just 2½ weeks before the Belmont Stakes (G1), featured weather more like a typical day at Aqueduct—marked the continuing emergence of the three-year-old filly C'Est L'Amour.

Nassau County S. (G2)
Belmont Park, May 10, $150,000, 7 furlongs, fast, 1:23.46
1—C'EST L' AMOUR, f. 3, Thunder Gulch—L'Amour Toujours, by Blushing Groom (Fr).
2—Tugger, f. 3, Twining—Pushy, by Assert (Ire).
3—Miss Inquistive, f. 3, Kipper Kelly—Striking Belle, by Strike the Anvil.

Coming up the rail, Lael Stables' C'Est L'Amour edged 1.15-to-1 favorite Tugger by a head in the Nassau County to record her second straight victory and first stakes win since arriving at Johnson's barn. A three-year-old daughter of 1995 Belmont Stakes winner Thunder Gulch—L'Amour Toujours, by Blushing Groom (Fr), C'Est L'Amour was the fifth betting choice at 10.20-to-1 in the six-horse field.

"I thought she would run better off her last race (an allowance win at Aqueduct on April 14)," Johnson said of C'Est L'Amour. "She beat four-year-olds that day, so you would think she would be pretty useful against three-year-olds. Tugger was laying in on us a bit in the stretch, and my horse didn't change leads, possibly because she was in so tight. She was very game and battled her way through it."

Tugger, a Twining filly trained by Todd Pletcher making her third career start, battled Miss Inquistive through the midstretch through fractions of :22.64, :45.35, and 1:10.26 before C'Est L'Amour made her move up the rail to take the lead in the final six jumps, completing the seven furlongs in 1:23.46 on a fast track.

"We didn't have a set plan, tactically, we just played it on the break," Pletcher said of Tugger. "I think she is better suited not to duel but to come from a little bit off the pace. She's a nice filly and she should get better. The Acorn (Stakes [G1] on June 9) is next."

Following her under the wire were Miss Inquistive in third, Finder's Fee, Sahara Gold, and Southern Sandra.

C'Est L' Amour also is headed for the one-mile Acorn, the first leg of the New York Racing Association's Triple Tiara for three-year-old fillies.

"She's had to work hard in her races at seven furlongs," Johnson said. "The added distance will be in her favor. By Thunder Gulch, she should appreciate more distance."

Notes—Peter Callahan's Bevo made a successful return to the races on May 12, holding off Intidab, last year's A Phenomenon Handicap (G2) winner, for his first victory since taking the Futurity Stakes (G1) at Belmont on September 19. The colt had bone chips removed over the winter.

"He came back fine and looks super this morning," trainer Bill Badgett Jr. said. "We'll watch him over the next few days. The Riva Ridge Stakes (G2) (June 10 at seven furlongs) will probably be his next start. I think he'll be able to go long, but for now we'll keep him sprinting."