Riboletta, Beautiful Pleasure in Classic Challenge

A minor foot injury to Fusaichi Pegasus has put on hold a showdown between the country’s best 3-year-old and top older horse, Lemon Drop Kid.

Their first meeting was to have happened in today’s $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, but now it might have to wait until the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.

Even so, there will be a classic matchup in New York today when Riboletta and Beautiful Pleasure get together for the first time in the $750,000 Beldame, a Grade I run at 1 1/8 miles.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Beldame are the main attractions on Belmont Park’s Breeders’ Cup Preview Day.

Riboletta is the 4-5 favorite in the Beldame as she seeks her sixth consecutive victory. She made a successful debut in New York last month, winning the Ruffian by 7 1/2 lengths.

If the Brazilian mare continues her roll, there’s a possibility she will run against males in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in three weeks.

First, though, she’ll have to dispose of Beautiful Pleasure, the Eclipse Award winner last year as the top older filly or mare and the heroine of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

The second choice at even money, Beautiful Pleasure is also the defending Beldame champion and will be making her first start since a five-length victory in the Personal Ensign on Aug. 25 at Saratoga.

Beautiful Pleasure will break from the outside in the field of six. Riboletta has the rail. Since the Beldame is a weight-for-age race, all starters will carry 123 pounds.

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Kona Gold, the early favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, may have only three opponents in the $200,000 Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup Handicap today at Santa Anita.

Second behind Artax in the 1999 BC Sprint at Gulfstream Park, Kona Gold will be trying to improve upon his performance in last year’s Ancient Title. He finished a troubled fifth that day as the 13-10 favorite.

Trained by Bruce Headley, who owns the gelding in partnership, the 6-year-old has not raced since winning the Bing Crosby Breeders’ Cup Handicap on July 29 at Del Mar.

That was his third victory in his last four starts and he will be seeking his fourth victory in nine tries at Santa Anita. Alex Solis will ride the 124-pound high-weight.

Completing the field in the Grade II are Elaborate, the winner of the Triple Bend Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park in July; Regal Thunder, who will be making his first start since finishing eighth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and the filly Chilukki, who has lost only once in races around one turn. This Tune Can Hum was also entered, but is likely to be scratched.

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Tout Charmant, a 4-1 longshot ridden by Chris McCarron for Bob and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable and trained by Ron McAnally, upset Perfect Sting in winning the $500,000 Winstar Galaxy Friday at Keeneland.

The beneficiary of a perfect trip, the 4-year-old Slewvescent filly took the lead approaching the far turn and out-finished Perfect Sting, who had won her four previous starts this year, by a length in 1:54 3/5 for the 1 3/16 miles on turf.

Notes

War Chant will start for the first time since finishing ninth in the Kentucky Derby on May 6 when he makes his turf debut in the $250,000 Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile Stakes today at Santa Anita. . . . Tiznow and Captain Steve were among eight horses entered in Sunday’s $500,000 Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Santa Anita. Rounding out the field are River Keen, Euchre, Bagshot, Sir Bear, Big Ten and Lethal Instrument. . . . Heritage Of Gold, who defeated Beautiful Pleasure twice earlier this year, heads the field in the $500,000 Spinster Stakes today at Keeneland.