Dublin headlines Champagne; 'Maria tops Frizette

Dublin will go for his third consecutive victory in the Champagne (Debra Kral/Horsephotos.com) Hopeful S. (G1) hero DUBLIN (Afleet Alex) is the marquee attraction in the $400,000 Champagne S. (G1), one of three Grade 1 stakes on Saturday's card at Belmont Park. The companion race for two-year-old fillies, the $400,000 Frizette S. (G1), has drawn Matron S. (G2) winner AWESOME MARIA (Maria's Mon), while the Jamaica H. (G1) features seven turf sophomores. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained Dublin finished fourth on his debut at Churchill Downs in a deep maiden race, won by future Bashford Manor S. (G3) and Sanford S. (G2) victor Backtalk (Smarty Jones). Moving forward off that experience, Dublin easily broke his maiden next time out at Saratoga by 3 1/4 lengths. In the Hopeful, the chestnut juvenile overcame a stumble at the start, and a wide trip around the far turn, to roll by two authoritative lengths. In so doing, he turned the tables on Backtalk, who wound up fourth at the Spa. Dublin also emulated his freshman sire, Afleet Alex, winner of the 2004 Hopeful. Afleet Alex subsequently fell a half-length shy in the Champagne, however, and Dublin will try to avenge his sire's narrow defeat on Saturday.

Lukas has made no secret of his high regard for Dublin, comparing him to

Grand Canyon, who won the 1989 Hollywood Futurity (G1) in 1:33, the fastest mile

time ever posted by a two-year-old.

"He's the only other horse that comes to mind that was as sensational," the

Hall of Fame trainer said.

Retired Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr., who rode Grand Canyon at

Hollywood that day, weighed in on the issue.

"(Grand Canyon) was probably the best two-year-old I've ever had," Cordero

said. "Him and Saratoga Six. Wayne always has the eye for those horses. If he

says he's as good as Grand Canyon, I've got to believe him."

Dublin is a massive physical specimen, standing 16.3 hands tall and weighing

more than 1,250 pounds.

"Allen Jerkens and I were looking at him the other day, and we said if you

told people he was a four-year-old, no one would doubt it," Lukas said. "We

stood him in the gate with two other two-year-olds and his rump was this much

higher than theirs," he said, holding his hands wide apart.

"He's gotten more focused (since the Hopeful). He's stronger and tighter than

he was. He's got a really good mind. He handles everything in stride. I can't

get over how well he rests. Every morning at 10 a.m., he lies down and snores.

"This is what all of us are in the profession for -- to have a nice

two-year-old," he said. "This is what makes you enjoy the sport so much, the

speculation that you may have 'the one.'"

Ramon Dominguez picks up the mount aboard Dublin, who will break from post 5

in a six-horse field.

ASPIRE (Tale of the Cat), a late-running second in the Hopeful, will hope

that the added ground in the one-mile Champagne will further his cause. Javier

Castellano will guide the Eddie Kenneally pupil for the first time.

DISCREETLY MINE (Mineshaft), runner-up to the impressive D' Funnybone (D'wildcat) in the Futurity S. (G2), will offer a good yardstick for the form. A

smashing Saratoga maiden winner two back over SUPER SAVER (Maria's Mon), the

Stanley Hough trainee had a rough trip in the Futurity, hitting the gate and

having to steady at the half-mile pole, yet still managed to finish a clear

second by eight lengths.

While D' Funnybone sits this one out, his trainer Rick Dutrow will be

represented in the Champagne by HOMEBOYKRIS (Roman Ruler). Privately purchased

after a sharp maiden score at Calder, the bay gelding will be making his first

start for his new barn here.

Rounding out the field are Super Saver, a front-running, seven-length maiden

winner for Todd Pletcher last out, and Hopeful seventh OVERLAP (Chapel Royal).

Discreetly Mine could be part of a big day for his connections, both human

and equine. One race prior to the Champagne, his maternal relative Awesome Maria

looms as a prime contender in the Frizette. Like Discreetly Mine, Awesome Maria

is an E. Paul Robsham Stables homebred. The gray was a near-miss second in her

career debut going 5 1/2 furlongs, but has won her past two at seven furlongs,

and the one-mile trip should suit her well.

After an 8 1/4-length maiden romp, Awesome Maria stalked the pace through

quick fractions in the Matron and kicked clear in the stretch, defeating

TOUCHING BEAUTY (Tapit) and WORSHIP THE MOON (Malibu Moon) by 2 3/4 lengths.

Cornelio Velasquez, who has ridden Awesome Maria in all of her starts, will be

back aboard as she breaks from post 4.

Touching Beauty and Worship the Moon both experienced trouble in the Matron,

and both are eligible to improve with better trips on Saturday.

FRANNY FREUD (Freud) is the only other stakes winner in the seven-filly

field. The John Terranova trainee, who broke her maiden at first asking at

Belmont, is coming off scores in the Ontario Debutante S. at Woodbine and the

restricted Lady Finger S. at Finger Lakes.

Intriguing stakes debutantes are DEVIL MAY CARE (Malibu Moon), ANNIE'S MELODY

(Forestry) and NONNA MIA (Empire Maker), all good-looking maiden winners last

time out.

Before the juveniles take the spotlight, three-year-old turf specialists will

square off over nine furlongs in the Jamaica. TAKE THE POINTS (Even the Score)

already has a top-level victory to his credit, having prevailed after a

stretch-long duel in the 1 1/4-mile Secretariat S. (G1) in his latest, but the

Pletcher colt will be cutting back in distance in this spot.

In contrast, the up-and-coming COURAGEOUS CAT (Storm Cat) posted his biggest

career victory at this trip, driving to a convincing success in the National

Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. (G2) in stakes-record time at Saratoga. In the

process, he extended his winning skein to three in a row. Courageous Cat will

try to give trainer Bill Mott his second straight Jamaica trophy, following

Court Vision's (Gulch) coup last year, when it was a Grade 2 prize.

STRAIGHT STORY (Giant's Causeway), who just missed in the Virginia Derby (G2)

and Colonial Turf Cup (G2), defeated Take the Points in both of those events at

Colonial Downs. The Alan Goldberg pupil disappointed next time out in the Hall

of Fame, checking in an uncharacteristic eighth behind Courageous Cat, but

regrouped to finish a solid second to older New York-bred kingpin Banrock (Go

for Gin) in the Ashley T. Cole S.

Also worth a look are BOOTS AHEAD (Storm Boot), who steps up in class after a

6 1/4-length triumph in the Restoration S. at Monmouth, and the well-bred GRASSY

(El Prado [Ire]), who brings a two-race winning streak into his stakes bow for

the ever-dangerous Christophe Clement.