Thoroughbred Beat

THOROUGHBRED BEAT

JULY 27, 2005

by James Scully

Spa - Racing moves to upstate New York on Wednesday and the first week

is often wet, with grass races tormented by rain. Todd Pletcher and John

Velazquez have dominated the Spa with record-setting performances over the last two seasons, but don't look for

runaway victories this year. Bill Mott, who won the recent Belmont

Spring/Summer meet and owns eight Saratoga training titles, and Richard Dutrow,

who returns from suspension on August 1, have the stock to compete with the Eclipse

Award-winning Pletcher. Edgar Prado, who has gotten off to a slow start at the Spa the last two years, proved

best by a wide margin at Belmont and is poised to make a run for his first

Saratoga title. Rafael Bejarano will add depth to the jockey colony.

3yo sensation - SMUGGLER (Unbridled) moved to the head of her

class with a stellar 3 1/2-length triumph in Saturday's Coaching Club American

Oaks (G1) and is poised to record a sweep in New York's re-configured Triple

Tiara with a victory in the August 20 Alabama S. (G1). A neck winner of the

Mother Goose S. (G1) in her previous outing, the rapidly improving Shug

McGaughey-trained sophomore filly is the newest star from the

mighty Phipps Stable. Her dam, 1995 champion mare and 13 1/2-length Breeders'

Cup Distaff (G1) heroine Inside Information (Private Account), is one of the

best distaffers to wear the black and red silks.

Sweet Read - SWEET RETURN (GB) (Elmaamul) added to the appeal of the

August 13 Arlington Million (G1) with a strong performance in Sunday's Eddie

Read H. (G1) at Del Mar. The five-year-old chestnut recorded his second-consecutive Grade 1 score with the front-running, 1 1/2-length victory over a

talented cast of rivals, and the Ron McAnally charge earned a career-best 113 BRIS Late Pace rating while completing the final eighth of a mile in :11 1/5

over the firm Jimmy Durante Turf Course. Winner of the 10-furlong Charles

Whittingham Memorial (G1) in his previous start, Sweet Return will square off

next against champion turf horse Kitten's Joy (El Prado [Ire]), who will face

his first serious test in Chicago since having surgery over the winter.

Mabee - Horse-for-the-course AMORAMA (Fr) (Sri Pekan) got up in deep

stretch to capture Saturday's John C. Mabee H. (G1), her first victory since

last year's Del Mar Oaks (G1), and trainer Julio Canani would probably love to

run the four-year-old filly twice more over the sod at Del Mar this meet if he

could. Grade 1 queen and 6-5 favorite INTERCONTINENTAL (GB) (Danehill) finished

a troubled third, offering a similar performance to her lard-luck fifth in last

year's Diana H. (G1), which also was the last time she tried nine furlongs. The

five-year-old mare will often create her own problems with rank behavior during

the early stages of a race, but she's displayed a knack for overcoming trouble

many times. Intercontinental found herself stuck with no place to go through the

stretch of the Mabee, checking repeatedly, and the traffic woes got the best of

her in her Del Mar debut. She's better anyway at a mile or 1 1/16 miles.

6f in 1:06 4/5 - KEEP THE FAITH (Aus) (Sunday Silence), a

five-year-old Australian stakes winner making his first U.S. start for Godolphin,

established a new North American mark for six furlongs on the turf when

capturing an optional claiming/allowance event in 1:06.82 on Sunday's closing

day program at Belmont Park. The dark bay horse stalked fractions of :21 4/5 and

:44 1/5 under John Velazquez before surging along the rail to a clear lead in

midstretch and going on to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Keep the Faith became the first

horse to complete six grassy furlongs in less than 1:07.

Cornelio - Saturday proved to be Cornelio Velasquez Day at Arlington

Park as the Panamanian jockey swept the Million Preview Day stakes, winning the

American Derby (G2) aboard Gun Salute (Military), Arlington H. (G3) on Cool

Conductor (Stravinsky) and Modesty H. (G3) with Noisette (Broad Brush). None

were favored. "Every jockey needs good horses to ride, and I got lucky today

with three of them," the New York-based Velasquez said.

Lost vs. Bellamy - Trainer Nick Zito has announced that Kentucky Derby

(G1) favorite BELLAMY ROAD (Concerto), who created a stir earlier this year when

capturing the nine-furlong Wood Memorial (G1) by a record-setting 17 1/2

lengths, will return to the races in the August 27 King's Bishop S. (G1). That's

also the next race for unbeaten sprint sensation LOST IN THE FOG (Lost Soldier),

who owns three Grade 2 victories. Bellamy Road was pointed toward the Kentucky

Derby earlier this year, but he owns a ton of natural speed and is well-suited

to seven furlongs. Lost in the Fog not only faces the prospect of taking on the

toughest challenger in his career, he'll be making his sixth trip east (to

either New York or Florida) from Northern California this year for trainer Greg

Gilchrist. That much traveling could catch up to a horse sooner or later.

No more fouling - Pat Valenzuela is suspended for the next three days

(Wednesday-Friday) due to a questionable disqualification on the opening day at

Del Mar, and there seemed to be more claims of foul than usual during the

opening week at the seaside track. It makes sense for horsemen to file an

objection for anything they perceive as trouble because the stewards display a

critical eye in California and like to take 'em down.