Posted on 06/10/2006 4:24:28 PM PDT by Coleus
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| Cacique, right, with Edgar Prado aboard, beats Relaxed Gesture, second from left, and Grey Swallow, left to win the 105th running of the Manhattan on the turf course at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, Saturday, June 10, 2006. All three horses are from Ireland. English Channel, second from right, finished out of the money. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams) |
NEW YORK -- Cacique beat Relaxed Gesture by a head to win the $400,000 Manhattan Handicap on the turf, the premier event Saturday on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Ridden by Edgar Prado, Cacique went right to the front in the Grade 1 stakes and set a moderate pace in the 1 1/4-mile race. Pressure mounted in the lane as the closers rallied with Relaxed Gesture making the most determined late run. Relaxed Gesture might have won it had jockey Kent Desormeaux not dropped his whip in the stretch. Cacique earned his first U.S. victory in his third try. The 5-year-old started his career in Europe and transferred to trainer Bobby Frankel at the end of last season's campaign. Cacique paid $6.40 to win as he was clocked in 2:04.10 on the yielding course. Grey Swallow was third, only a neck behind Relaxed Gesture in the tight finish.
A determined Bushfire won the Grade 1, $250,000 Acorn for 3-year-olds fillies by a hard-fought neck. Bushfire, with Alex Solis aboard, set the pace under relentless pressure from Hello Liberty. She yielded briefly to that rival in the lane before coming back again. Bushfire paid $11.20 to win, running the mile in 1:35.89. "She's very game and she shows up every time," trainer Eddie Kenneally said. "Normally, when you get headed, you're going to get beat."
Bushfire has won three of her last four, all stakes, to emerge as a leader in the division. Her lone loss in the span came in the Kentucky Oaks where she ran third and was placed sixth for bumping in the stretch. Miraculous Miss, the winner of Aqueduct's Comely Stakes in her earlier start, was a late scratch when she reared and flipped in the starting gate, tossing Desormeaux. Wonder Lady Anne L, in the adjoining stall, was also scratched, reducing the Acorn field to seven. The start of the race was delayed as the remaining horses were backed out of the gate while Miraculous Miss was helped back to her feet by the starters.
Anew, a 5-year-old gelding who ran in a claiming race earlier this year, streaked to his fourth straight victory in the $200,000 True North Handicap. Anew, ridden by Alan Garcia, paid $12.40 to win as he ran the six furlongs in 1:08.10. Gorella collared Pommes Frites in the final jumps to take the $285,000 Just a Game Handicap for fillies and mares on the turf. Gorella got up by a neck after Pommes Frites had opened an eight-length lead in the four-horse race. Gorella, with Julien Laparoux aboard, ran the one-mile in 1:37.14 and paid $3.20 to win. Songster rallied for a two-length win over Too Much Bling in the $250,000 Woody Stephens Breeders' Cup Stakes for 3-year-olds. Prado rode the winner to his second straight stakes victory. Songster ran the seven furlongs in 1:21.45 and paid $7.70 to win.
Hey, guess who won the Belmont Stakes!
Good going Frakie!
Hey! Ca-ci-que! Take a bow!
Ironically, it was two years ago today that Cacique drove me to the airport to go to Seattle, on the SAME DAY as the Belmont Stakes!
Even better, the article was written by Dr. BJ Honeycutt himself!
I'm late to the punchline, but I don't care...
Cacique, good to see that increased training regiment pay off in spades!
Typo Frank, typo.
that's interesting, what a coincidence. I bet that you're glad you're back.
(Klaus Von Bulow voice): "You have NO idea!"
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