NEWS
Sun King set for Jockey Club Gold Cup
Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Owner Tracy Farmer and trainer Nick Zito have decided to test Pennsylvania Derby (G2) winner Sun King against older horses and Travers Stakes (G1) winner Flower Alley on Saturday in the $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. Zito and Farmer made the decision on Monday after also considering the $750,000 Super Derby (G2) at Louisiana Downs and $500,000 Indiana Derby (G2) at Hoosier Park, both on Saturday.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano will retain the mount.
Zito and Farmer won the 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup with three-year-old Albert the Great.
"We were lucky in that race and this horse seems to have had a breakout race, so we'll take a chance," Zito said. "And we think this is the best way to go if he's going to run in the Breeders' Cup."
Belmont will also host the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on October 29.
Sun King scored by 4½ lengths in the Pennsylvania Derby on September 5 at Philadelphia Park. He finished second to Roman Ruler in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) on August 7 at Monmouth Park after winning the Leonard Richards Stakes (G3) on July 17 at Delaware Park.
Roman Ruler also is expected for the 1¼-mile Jockey Club Gold, along with Flower Alley, Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) winner Borrego, and Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap (G1) winner Lava Man.
Love of Money, last year's Pennsylvania Derby winner, finished sixth as the favorite in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
In other Classic-division news, trainer Vladimir Cerin said Super Frolic would be pointed to the Classic following his victory in the Hawthorne Gold Cup Stakes (G2) over a sloppy track on September 24.
Lord of the Game, who finished second by a head, will also be considered for the Classic, trainer Tom Tomillo said.
Trainer Murray Johnson was noncommittal on the status of Perfect Drift, who finished fourth as the 4-to-5 favorite.
"It seemed like he just didn't handle the track," Johnson said. "He came back fine, so we'll just play it by ear."—Jeff Lowe
