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#1
08-07-2006, 08:24 PM
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Invasor to the JCGC
On DRF...
By DAVID GRENING Invasor to Jockey Club Gold Cup Whitney Handicap winner Invasor will make his next start in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 7 at Belmont Park rather than the Woodward here on Sept. 2, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. McLaughlin said he spoke with Sheikh Hamdan of Shadwell Stable on Sunday and wanted more time between the Whitney and Invasor's next start. "He thought timing-wise it was better," McLaughlin said. "I thought so, too. The only thing is we're not looking forward to hooking Bernardini anytime, but you have to. They're probably not looking forward to hooking us either. It works both ways." Invasor earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 113 in the Whitney, to go along with his 111 in the Suburban and 108 in the Pimlico Special. "He fought on and showed some real gameness the other day that we hadn't had to see yet," McLaughlin said. "Stumbling [at the start] and weaving in between and having to worry about Flower Alley for three-eighths of a mile and then shaking loose and then having to fight off Sun King was quite an effort." Trainer Nick Zito was still smarting from Sun King's nose loss in the Whitney, but looked forward. "I feel like John Veitch for a year," said Zito, referring to the trainer of Alydar, who finished second to Affirmed in all three Triple Crown races in 1978. "It was a sign of how courageous Sun King is and how good [Invasor] is, too. A foot after the wire, he's in front." Zito said he was undecided whether Sun King would run back in the Woodward or in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Flower Alley, who finished seventh in the Whitney, appears to have come back fine, pending the results of some blood work taken Monday. The Whitney was his second race this year. "We pulled some blood work on him today, which we'll have the results of tomorrow and see if that reveals anything," Pletcher said. "I think the track is very demanding right now. I think that maybe one race just wasn't enough to have him dead on for a peak effort in that kind of race. All I know to do is prepare him for the Woodward. With that race under his belt, and two or three more works, we'll find out." Pletcher said that West Virginia, third in the Whitney, would likely run back in the Woodward. 
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#2
08-07-2006, 08:27 PM
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Nice he keeps getting better and better if this horse is only 3 then how can Barbaro and Bernadini be leading the 3yo division if this guy is tearing up the classic division
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#3
08-07-2006, 08:37 PM
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Quote:
__________________
 Seek respect, not attention.
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#6
08-08-2006, 11:28 AM
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Quote:
Some had speculated (not on this board) that the Sheikh's don't like to run their horses against each other (not counting the BC), but clearly that is not true. Bernardini's connections have their sights set on a championship run and he has to win the Travers and beat older horses at least once (I don't believe he has to run the table, though) to have a chance. Yet Invasor's connections want HOY for their colt, and if they have to stand in the way of Bernardini, clearly they don't have a problem doing so. That's fine by me - this is what racing is all about. It's fun to see how a terrific 3 year old stacks up against a terrific older horse
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