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Bernardini remains brilliant in Gold Cup
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Bernardini is still looking for his first serious test
(Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com) |
Darley Stable's homebred BERNARDINI (A.P. Indy) lived up to the hype in
Saturday's $712,500
Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1), crushing three rivals with
another fantastic display of brilliance as he cruised through the stretch to a 6
3/4-length decision. The winner of six straight, the once-beaten sophomore colt
adds the prestigious Gold Cup to smashing victories in the Preakness S. (G1),
Travers S. (G1), Jim Dandy S. (G2) and Withers S. (G3). He'll head to the
November 4 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) as the heavy favorite, seeking to
add a final chapter to a very special season.A wire-to-wire winner in his two previous outings, Bernardini rated patiently
behind Grade 2 winner Wanderin Boy (Seeking the Gold) as his older rival showed
the way through a quarter-mile in :25 and a half in :48. The pacesetter led by a
half-length after six furlongs in 1:11 4/5, but Bernardini loomed an extremely
threatening presence on his outside while running comfortably. Bernardini was
still a head back through a mile in 1:35 4/5, but he effortlessly blew past his
rival into the stretch, passing the eighth-pole with a growing 2 1/2-length
lead. In what has become a well-accustomed sight, jockey Javier Castellano sat
motionless in the saddle as Bernardini jogged to the finish line under wraps
while widening his advantage, completing 1 1/4 miles in 2:01 over the fast
Belmont track.
"That was exactly what I was hoping for," trainer Tom Albertrani said. "I've
got a fresh horse the Breeders' Cup now. He does things so easily, I don't know
if anyone can give him the kind of race where he has to fight. Look at the hold
Javier had on him. He showed up like he always does today."
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Castellano came away impressed again.
"I had so much horse today," his regular rider said. "I never asked him. He
settled down perfectly behind the speed horse. I wanted him to settle down
today. I didn't want him on the lead because I want him to be focused for his next race,
the Breeders' Cup. He's a special horse, and that kind of horse is hard to
find."
Favored at 1-10, the spectacular bay paid $2.30 and $2.10. There was no
show betting in the four-horse field. Wanderin Boy easily held second by six
lengths at 9-1, giving back $3.50 for the place and capping the $5.80 exacta,
and Andromeda's Hero (Fusaichi Pegasus) rounded out the top three. It was 19 1/2
lengths back to Irish shipper Dylan Thomas (Ire) (Danehill), who never appeared
comfortable in his dirt debut.
The Kentucky-bred winner is out of 1995 Hollywood Starlet S. (G1) winner and
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up Cara Rafaela (Quiet American), who
placed in six other Grade 1 events and earned $884,452. Her first foal was the
Grade 1-placed Ile de France (Storm Cat), and the 13-year-old mare is also the
dam of the unraced juvenile filly Blue Tigress (Storm Cat) and a 2006 filly by
Storm Cat.
Bernardini has now earned $2,060,480 from his 7-6-0-0 line.
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