NEWS
Flower Alley to meet California shippers in Jockey Club Gold Cup
Posted: Thursday, September 29, 2005
Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap (G1) winner Lava Man and Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) winner Borrego will make the trip east to face Travers Stakes (G1) winner Flower Alley, who will battles older rivals for the first time in the $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Belmont Park.Borrego, who had finished second in six previous stakes races, enters Saturday's 1¼-mile race off the biggest victory of his career, a half-length score in the Pacific Classic on August 21 at Del Mar.
Lava Man, a veteran of 25 starts over three seasons, will be making his second start outside of California as he gets a trip over the Belmont surface in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on October 29. The son of Slew City Slew won the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 9 before finishing third in the Pacific Classic, where he led into the stretch before fading. That finish snapped a three-race win streak for Lava Man, a former claimer who has earned $767,436 this season.
Flower Alley will enter Saturday's race off two visually impressive victories at Saratoga Race Course. The son of Distorted Humor won the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) by 5¼ lengths over Reverberate on July 30 before taking the Travers by 2½ lengths over Bellamy Road.
"I feel like we're holding a very strong hand and the horse [is] running figures that are good enough to win a race like this," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "He's certainly a relatively fresh horse that's in great form and obviously handles a mile-and-a-quarter. So we're delighted with where we are."
A top finish Saturday and/or a top finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic would make Flower Alley a contender for champion three-year-old male honors. Earlier this season, he won the Lane's End Stakes (G2) at Turfway Park and finished second to Afleet Alex in the Arkansas Derby (G2). He then finished ninth in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Another West Coast horse entering Saturday's race is Imperialism, who rallied to win the seven-furlong Pat O'Brien Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) by three-quarters of a length on August 21 at Del Mar. That start marked the first effort by the three-time Grade 2-winning son of Langfuhr since his off-the-board finish in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on March 5.
Other starters Saturday include Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) winner Suave, Pennsylvania Derby (G2) winner Sun King, Grade 2 winner Grand Reward. Bishop Court Hill figures to provide some early speed for Flower Alley.
The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:
1. Suave (A.P. Indy), Edgar Prado, 126, Paul McGee;
2. Bishop Court Hill (Holy Bull), Chantal Sutherland, 126, Todd Pletcher;
3. Borrego (El Prado [IRE]), Garrett Gomez, 126, C. Beau Greely;
4. Flower Alley (Distorted Humor), John Velazquez, 122, Todd Pletcher;
5. Sun King (Charismatic), Rafael Bejarano, 122, Nick Zito;
6. Lava Man (Slew City Slew), Pat Valenzuela, 126, Doug O'Neill;
7. Imperialism (Langfuhr), Victor Espinoza, 126, Kristin Mulhall; and
8. Grand Reward (Storm Cat), Mike Smith, 126, D. Wayne Lukas.
