Thursday, September 9, 2010
Contact: Jon Forbes
(718) 659-2240
AL KHALI SEEKS RIGHT TRIP IN BOWLING GREEN
ELMONT, N.Y. – Al Khali may find himself at the perfect distance when he competes in the Grade 2, $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap over 1 3/8 miles on the Inner Turf Course on Saturday, September 11, opening day for the 2010 Fall Championship Meet at Belmont Park.
After taking the 2009 Grade 3 Saranac, Al Khali was off the board in his next four starts before he returned to the winner’s circle two starts back with a gate-to-wire triumph in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer at
“We thought he might be one who could get the trip,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott of the decision to try Al Khali at 1 ½ miles. “It looks like that last furlong might have stretched him out a little, but a mile and three eighths might be in his range.”
Al Khali, the 4-1 second choice who was assigned 116 pounds, will be ridden by Julien Leparoux for the first time and leaves from post position 3.
Remaining at the same 1 3/8-mile distance is the 2-1 morning-line favorite
“He’s had the summer off, but he’s ready to go,” said Clement of Winchester, who will carry 119 pounds, leave from post position 5, and once again have the services of Cornelio Velasquez.
Trainer Barclay Tagg has elected to keep Dry Martini on the grass following a seventh in the John’s Call at
“It looked like he liked [the turf] all right,” said Tagg. “He’s a pretty classy horse – I wouldn’t run him against Gio Ponti or Get Stormy; the turf division is never easy – but running him on grass might help him last longer, keep him happy, and he might enjoy it. It’s a very forgiving surface.”
Dry Martini, whose five stakes victories include the 2009 Grade 2 Suburban Handicap, drew post 7 under Edgar Prado and 115 pounds at 12-1 on the morning line.
Grand Couturier picked up his first victory of 2009 in the
From the rail out the field also includes Simmard, who is returning from a 7 ½-month layoff; Southwest, who steps up in class after prevailing by a nose in a $50,000 claiming race at Delaware Park on June 5; Strike a Deal, who took the 2009 Grade 2 Red Smith at 1 3/8 miles; Gabriel’s Hill, fourth in the Greenwood Cup on the dirt on July 17; Interpatation, the winner of the 2009 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational and fourth last time out in the Sword Dancer; Followmyfootsteps, third in a Saratoga optional claimer on August 25; and Jeune-Turc, a Group 1 winner in his native Brazil who was eighth in the United Nations in his lone start in North America.
The field for the Grade 2
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Simmard (KY) | J R Velazquez | 115 | R L Attfield | 10-1 |
| 2 | Grand Couturier (GB) | A Garcia | 117 | R Ribaudo | 8-1 |
| 3 | Al Khali (KY) | J R Leparoux | 116 | W I Mott | 4-1 |
| 4 | Strike a Deal (KY) | R A Dominguez | 117 | A E Goldberg | 6-1 |
| 5 | | C H Velasquez | 119 | C Clement | 2-1 |
| 6 | Gabriel's Hill (KY) | E Coa | 113 | | 20-1 |
| 7 | Dry Martini (FL) | E | 115 | B Tagg | 12-1 |
| 8 | Southwest (VA) | J Castellano | 113 | R Jenkins | 15-1 |
| 9 | Interpatation (KY) | C Hill | 116 | R Barbara | 15-1 |
| 10 | Followmyfootsteps (KY) | R Maragh | 113 | T H Voss | 15-1 |
| 11 | Jeune-Turc (BRZ) | J Lezcano | 116 | P H Lobo | 12-1 |
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