CAVONNIER IS BELMONT FAVORITE.Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. winner Cavonnier is the 3-1 favorite among 15 horses 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). today, but curious eyes will follow My Flag, who could be the first filly since 1905 to win the 1-1/2-mile race. My Flag, the champion 2-year-old filly of 1995, is the co-third choice at 6-1 on the Belmont Park Noun 1. Belmont Park - a racetrack for thoroughbred racing in Elmont on Long Island; site of the Belmont Stakes Belmont Elmont - a town on Long Island in New York; site of Belmont Park morning line, and dominant Triple Crown trainers 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. and Nick Zito Nicholas Philip "Nick" Zito (born February 6, 1948 in New York City, New York) is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer. Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer. are among those who think she can win. ``My opinion is that My Flag has a very good shot,'' said Zito, who will saddle Preakness winner Louis Quatorze Louis Qua·torze adj. Of, relating to, or characteristic of the baroque style in architecture, furniture, and decoration of the reign of Louis XIV. [French.] and Saratoga Dandy for the 1-1/2-mile race. ``I'm afraid of her. I think she'll run better than most of them in there.'' Lukas predicted that the winner will be one of the six horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. and Preakness, but added: ``I'll hedge my bet with My Flag.'' My Flag is the first filly in the Belmont since 1988. The last to win was Tanya in 1905. ``I'm one of the few guys who think Shug (McGaughey, My Flag's trainer) made the right decision,'' said Lukas, who will send out Editor's Note Editor's Note (foaled in 1993 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Champion 2 YO Colt Forty Niner, who in turn was a son of Champion sire Mr. Prospector and out of the mare, Beware Of The Cat. Trained by D. and Prince of Thieves. ``She fits this race. This is her home field. She'll walk over there out of her own stable. She has a lot of advantages.'' The daughter of Easy Goer Easy Goer (1986-1994) was an American thoroughbred racehorse, famous for conquering the champion Sunday Silence in the 1989 Belmont Stakes by 8 lengths. The victory deprived Sunday Silence of the Triple Crown. It was also the second fastest Belmont after Secretariat's. (the 1989 Belmont winner) and Personal Ensign (unbeaten in a 13-race career) has always trained and raced well at Belmont Park, her home base. In four Belmont starts, she has two wins, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt (although the distance has varied, depending on the configuration of the host track) for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part , and a second and a third. Easy Goer won eight of 10 Belmont starts. Personal Ensign won all 10. ``That went into my thinking,'' McGaughey said Friday. My Flag's chances could be compromised by her late-running style in a Belmont record-equaling field. Fifteen also ran 1983 when Caveat won. ``What if one of those 14 stop in front of her?'' Zito said. ``History will be stopped in the making.'' One of the horses who figure to be in front of My Flag early in the race - but who can't be expected to stop - is the California-bred gelding gelding castrated male horse. Cavonnier. He was beaten by a nose by the now-retired Grindstone grindstone or grind common metaphor for industriousness. [Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : Industriousness in the closest Derby since 1959, and was fourth in the Preakness. Chris McCarron will ride Cavonnier again today. Trainer Bob Baffert said he thought Cavonnier's dull effort in the Preakness was due to his hard race in the Derby and the fact there were only two weeks between the races. Cavonnier has been at Belmont Park for three weeks and on Monday turned in an excellent 6 furlong workout in 1:11. ``If he hadn't worked good Monday, we would have gone home,'' Baffert said. ``You'll see the real Cavonnier come Saturday.'' Creme Fraiche, in 1983, is the only gelding to win the Belmont. The entry of Louis Quatorze, who bounced back from a 16th in the Derby to win the Preakness, and Saratoga Dandy, is 9-2 to give Zito his first Belmont victory. Since 1990, the trainer has won two Derbies, has had a win and a second in the Preakness, and has had four seconds in the Belmont, including the last two. Editor's Note, sixth in the Derby and third in the Preakness, and Prince of Thieves, third in the Derby and seventh in the Preakness, each are 8-1 to give Lukas a third straight Belmont victory. His string of six consecutive wins in Triple Crown races, beginning with 1994 Preakness, was snapped in this year's Preakness. Rated at 6-1, same as My Flag, is Skip Away, who was 12th in the Derby and second in the Preakness. The other veteran of both the Derby and Preakness is In Contention, 15th and sixth, respectively. Secreto de Estado finished ninth in the Preakness. Jamie's First Punch, winner of the Peter Pan on May 25 at Belmont Park, appears to be the best of eight horses making their debuts in Triple Crown competition. Seven horses have followed wins in the Peter Pan with Belmont victories. Hollywood Park and its satellites will take bets on the Belmont, which is scheduled for 2:31 p.m. PDT PDT abbr. Pacific Daylight Time PDT Pacific Daylight Time PDT n abbr (US) (= Pacific Daylight Time) → hora de verano del Pacífico PDT , and four other Belmont Park stakes today. BELMONT STAKES AT A GLANCE The race: 1-1/2 miles on a dirt track - the longest Triple Crown event - for a purse of $734,800. The winner receives $440,880. It's the 128th Belmont. TV: Scheduled for 2:31 p.m. PST PST Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, see there , the race program will be shown on Channel 7 starting at 1:30 p.m. Where to bet: Hollywood Park and its satellites will take wagers on the Belmont Stakes and four other races from Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The Hollypark races start at 1:20 p.m. The horses: Fifteen 3-year-olds - the most in Belmont history - will run, including Preakness winner Louis Quatorze. The favorite: Cavonnier, the California-bred gelding who won the Santa Anita Derby and just missed in the Kentucky Derby, is 3-1 on the morning line. The sentimental favorite: My Flag, last year's champion 2-year-old filly, would be the first filly in 91 years to win the Belmont. The human angle: A victory by Editor's Note or Prince of Thieves would make it three straight Belmont wins for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who won with Tabasco Cat and Thunder Gulch. The front-runner: Don't tear up your tickets on the contenders if Appealing Skier is in front early. The stretch-runners: My Flag, Editor's Note and Saratoga Dandy do their best running late. CAPTION(S): Box Box: Belmont Stakes at a Glance (see text) |
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