BELMONT NOTEBOOK: DUO IS GAME FOR PATIENCE.Byline: Kevin Modesti Daily News Staff Writer An upset victory by Patience Game, the other California colt in the Belmont Stakes Belmont Stakes Oldest of the three U.S. horse races that constitute the Triple Crown. The Belmont originated in 1867 and is named after August Belmont (see Belmont family). The stakes is held in early June at Belmont Park, near Garden City, Long Island; the course is 1.5 mi (2,400 m). , would mean a turnabout for jockey Kent Desormeaux Kent J. Desormeaux (born February 27, 1970, in Maurice, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year. and a breakthrough for trainer Alex Hassinger. Desormeaux rode Real Quiet in the 1998 Belmont, and the jockey's early surge into contention and effort to turn the colt's head so he'd see Victory Gallop Victory Gallop (foaled May 30, 1995 in Ontario, Canada) was an American-based Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Ivan Dalos' Tall Oaks Farm, Victory Gallop was born later in the 1995 year than is common for most Thoroughbreds. coming were widely blamed for losing the Triple Crown. Desormeaux replaced Corey Nakatani aboard Patience Game. Hassinger, the 36-year-old nephew of Breeders' Cup founder John Gaines, was hired as private trainer for The Thoroughbred Corp. after the ownership group headed by Saudi prince Ahmed Salman fired Wally Dollase in March. Hassinger had been ``exploring other things'' after the failure of the public stable he opened after leaving a similar private-training job with Allen Paulson. Hassinger trained 1992 champion 2-year-old filly Eliza and trains 38 Thoroughbred Corp. runners at Santa Anita. But to many he will always be the guy who had Cigar before a move to Bill Mott's barn and softer Eastern dirt tracks turned that undistinguished un·dis·tin·guished adj. 1. a. Marked by no peculiar quality; not distinguished; ordinary: an undistinguished appearance. b. colt into a two-time Horse of the Year. Hassinger said he doesn't mind being known for that. ``My heart tells me I did the right thing by the horse,'' he said. ``He was just a late-developing horse.'' Patience Game, by Woodman, sire of 1991 Belmont winner Hansel han·sel n. & v. Variant of handsel. , is a late bloomer too. He didn't race at 2 - Hassinger claimed he doesn't know why because he didn't train him then - and broke his maiden on the third try at Santa Anita in March before winning the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs less than a month later. Two days after a rough trip to fifth place in the Preakness, Patience Game was shipped to Belmont so Hassinger could see if he liked the sandy track. Sharp workouts said ``yes.'' Hassinger said he sees no reason to think Charismatic isn't the horse to beat in the Belmont. But Patience Game is ``improving step by step,'' the trainer said. With the second-fewest starts (five) and second-lowest earnings ($117,776) in the 12-horse field, Patience Game is 20-1 on the Belmont morning line. Thursday's action: Best of Luck, the Peter Pan Stakes The Peter Pan Stakes is a race for thoroughbred horses run each year at Belmont Park on Long Island, New York. A Grade II event, it's open to three-year-olds willing to race nine furlongs on the dirt. The Peter Pan carries a purse of $200,000. winner trained by ``Giant Killer'' Allen Jerkens, turned in the morning's only full-tilt workout, going half a mile in 49 3/5 seconds and galloping out 5 furlongs in 1:02. ``I'd have liked him to go a little faster, but he seems to be doing OK,'' Jerkens said. Charismatic jogged 1-1/2 miles. Packing 'em in: Belmont Park officials are predicting a crowd of 80,000 Saturday, about the same as last year's, which was the largest since 1971. But the race, scheduled for 5:27 p.m. New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of time, has to compete for local sports fans' attention against a Mets-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium (1:15 p.m.) and the Indiana Pacers-Knicks NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= playoff game at Madison Square Garden Current arenas in the National Hockey League Western Conference Eastern Conference (6:30 p.m.). The track is advertising itself as the ``ideal'' place to watch the baseball and basketball games on TV. Here's something the games don't offer: Belmont Park will have a guaranteed $1 million pick-six pool Saturday. Fast track: Sun and temperatures in the low 80s are predicted for Belmont day. Fast forward: D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935 in Antigo, Wisconsin) is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. said that when he was training his first Belmont horse - Tap Shoes, sixth in 1981, behind Summing - he studied videotapes of past runnings of the race to look for tactical secrets. He said it was a waste of time. ``One thing I determined from watching those tapes,'' Lukas said. ``It's a real good idea to have Secretariat.'' One-track mind: Bob Lewis, who, with his wife Beverly, owns Charismatic, calls horse racing ``the only sport in the world that has legalized parimutuel wagering.'' Other than greyhound racing and jai-alai, he's right. Modern sports: Charismatic's licensing and merchandising rights have been assigned to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) is the main governing body of Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States. They are also the main governing body of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. by the Lewises. Expect T-shirts, caps and ``collectibles'' - we'll be the judge of that - bearing Charismatic's likeness and the Lewises' green and yellow. |
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