| New York Racing: The Insider July 16 | ||||
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| Monday, 16 July 2007 | |
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Belmont Park Aces of the Day: Jockey Alan Garcia rode two winners Sunday but top jock Eibar Coa and top trainer Gary Contessa joined up to get two winners home as a team. The winning runners were BET THE DIVA ($4.70) in the fourth race and INDIAN WAR DANCE ($2.60) in the sixth. Coa leads all riders at Belmont Park with 69 victories while Contessa tops the trainer standings with 37. Todd Pletcher's SUNRIVER took a field of eight gate to wire in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap over the inner turf course. The 4-year-old son of SAINT BALLADO cut splits of 24.51, 49.11, 1:12.97, and 1:36.77 before kicking clear and coasting home under Garrett Gomez in 2:12.68 by a length and a quarter. TRIPPI'S STORM rallied for the place while SIVER WHISTLE was a non-threatening third. Favored SHAKIS had no rally and was a well-beaten fourth. SUNRIVER is now a perfect two for two on the turf and a graded stakes winner on both dirt and grass. Sent off as the second choice, SUNRIVER paid $6.20. Troubled Trip: In Sunday's second race, a maiden special for fillies and mares at seven furlongs on the Widener turf, favored SOPHIE'S SALAD'S rally was impeded when she was caught in traffic late. Maybe she doesn't get up to beat LORELEI LEGEND ($16.80) but she probably goes better than fourth, just two lengths behind the winner. We'd give her another chance next out. FUNNY CIDE will be honored on August 10th at Saratoga Racecourse, in recognition of his retirement, which was announced Friday. The 7-year-old Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner was retired sound, according to trainer Barclay Tagg, but he no longer is capable of racing at the top level. Tagg plans on keeping the popular New York-bred gelding in his barn and may retrain him as a stable pony. FUNNY CIDE was foaled only a few miles from the Saratoga track. The final Grade 1 race of the Belmont meet will go on Saturday when Belmont Stakes winner RAGS TO RICHES will head the field of whatever fillies show up in the 10-furlong Coaching Club American Oaks. Sunday will mark the end of the meet with the running of the Evan Shipman Handicap, a mile-and-a-sixteenth race for state-breds three and up. When racing resumes Wednesday, there will be no Pick 6 carryover. Sunday's winning tickets were worth $3,235.00 each. |
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