BELMONT BARN NOTES: Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003


By NYRA Press Office

Mrs. Joseph Grant's Evening Attire, the winner of last year's Jockey Club Gold Cup, worked six furlongs in 1:13 1/5 over a fast main track this morning. The five-year-old gray's status for this year's Grade 1, $1 million Gold Cup on Saturday is uncertain at this point.

"The work was nice," trainer Pat Kelly said. "We're just waiting to see who's going to run and how he comes out of this."

Kelly, who also mentioned the $400,000 Meadowlands Cup on October 3rd at a mile and an eighth as a possibility, knows he would have to go up against a tougher field in this year's Gold Cup than he did last year.

"We'd have to figure out a way to beat Mineshaft," Kelly said. "It's definitely not going to be easy. Nothing's easy when they put $1 million up."

Despite running against the likes of Mineshaft, Empire Maker and Moon Ballad in the Gold Cup, Kelly may still be more comfortable with Evening Attire in that spot.

"I think he's better at the mile and a quarter," the trainer said. "He sort of likes Belmont, although he's only 1-for-8 here."

Evening Attire ran fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic last year. Kelly said he has not given much thought to shipping to California for this year's running.

"Last year we were talking about the Breeders' Cup, but we weren't really planning on it until he won the Gold Cup," Kelly said. "I don't know if we'll end up in California or not. That's a long way off yet."

Another one of the top horses in Kelly's barn worked this morning. Fox Ridge Farm's Riskaverse went five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 around dogs over a firm turf course. She is scheduled to run in the Grade 1, $750,000 Flower Bowl Invitational at a mile and a quarter Saturday.

"She hasn't won at a mile and a quarter, but she's been close," Kelly said of the four-year-old, who only got beat 2 3/4 lengths in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and 1 3/4 lengths in this year's New York Handicap. "We'll keep trying. She'll jump up and win one of these days."

CHAPEL ROYAL
Trainer Todd Pletcher had some of his best juveniles out on the track for workouts this morning, including Chapel Royal, Ashado and Limehouse.

Chapel Royal, who suffered his first defeat in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga, went five furlongs in 1:00 2/5. He had previously won the Grade 3 Flash and Grade 2 Sanford and will make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne at a mile and a sixteenth October 4th.

"He didn't run a bad race in the Hopeful, he just didn't run as well as we expected him to," Pletcher said. "He's trained well since then, so we'll just lead him over there and try again."

Undefeated Ashado, winner of the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga in her last start, worked five furlongs in 1:02. Her next start will be the Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette at a mile and a sixteenth October 4th.

"She's actually training better here than she was at Saratoga," Pletcher said. "She's never really been an impressive horse in the mornings, she just kind of does what she has to do. I've liked both her breezes since coming back to Belmont."

Pletcher expects Three Chimneys and Bashford Manor winner Limehouse, who worked five furlongs in 1:02, to go to Keeneland for the Grade 2, $400,000 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity at a mile and a sixteenth October 4th.

SIGHTSEEK
Juddmonte Farms' Sightseek blazed six furlongs in 1:10 3/5 this morning, the fastest work at the distance by over two seconds. The Go for Wand winner is on target for the Grade 1, $750,000 Beldame at a mile and an eighth October 4th.