Left Bank Proves He Can Go the Distance

Those expecting to see a brilliant performance Saturday in the $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga were not disappointed.

Only trouble is it came from something of an unexpected source.

Left Bank, who has made a nice living in races primarily around one turn, stretched out to nine furlongs and humbled a field in what was billed as the best race of 2002.

Given a picture ride by John Velasquez, the 5-year-old son of French Deputy tracked the fast pace of longshot Saint Verre, took charge with about three-eighths of a mile remaining and won by 1 1/4-lengths over even-money favorite and 123-pound highweight Street Cry.

Left Bank, who is owned by Michael Tabor and trained by Todd Pletcher, completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:47, equaling a track record set by Tri Jet 28 years ago to the day. He paid $9.20 as the 7-2 fourth choice.

“This was the best group of horses put together all year,” Pletcher said. “It’s good that Saint Verre was in there. The race set up for everybody and nobody had an excuse. I think the best horse won.”

Regarded as the top handicap horse in the country on the strength of three consecutive victories to begin the year, including his impressive wins in the $6 million Dubai World Cup and Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs, Street Cry had a perfect trip under jockey Jerry Bailey.

A runner-up for the sixth time in 12 career starts, the 4-year-old Machiavellian colt beat defending champion and 7-2 third choice Lido Palace by a nose. Macho Uno was fourth, then came Unshaded and Saint Verre.

“I was very disappointed with his race because he had trained so well coming up to it,” said Saeed bin Suroor, Street Cry’s trainer. “The horse just did not look happy. I could tell in the last quarter of a mile he wasn’t going to win.

“He looked OK after the race, but we’ll have to see how he comes out of it before we make a decision about his next start.”

This was the 14th victory in 24 starts for Left Bank and it made him a millionaire. The $450,000 check pushed his earnings to $1,402,806. It was also his third victory in five starts at Saratoga.

“If he stays like this, he can go anywhere and beat anyone,” Velasquez said.

Pletcher said Left Bank will return in the $500,000 Woodward at Belmont Park on Sept. 7, then possibly go in the Jockey Club Gold Cup three weeks later before heading to Illinois and the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 26.

A race earlier, Listen Here, at 8-1, rallied from far off the pace to beat 18-1 longshot Boston Common and six other 3-year-olds in the $150,000 Amsterdam.

Owned by Kim and Rodney Nardelli and Lewis Lakin and trained by Bill Mott, Listen Here, a son of Gulch, completed the six furlongs in 1:09 3/5 under jockey Pat Day. The 2 1/4-length victory ended a six-race losing streak for Listen Here, who had won his first three starts.

Mayakovsky, the 6-5 favorite making his first start since he finished fourth in the Santa Anita Derby on April 6, broke slowly under Bailey, rushed up to battle for the lead, then faded to fourth. Bold Truth, a 13-1 longshot, finished third in the Grade II.

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Little Treasure made a successful U.S. debut, holding off 23-1 longshot Pina Colada to win the $150,000 San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar.

Owned by a partnership that includes Port Trust, Liberty Road Stable and San Gabriel Investments and trained by Laura De Seroux, the 3-year-old Night Shift filly earned her fifth victory in eight starts. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, the 5-2 favorite completed the mile on turf in 1:33 4/5 with a final eighth of a mile in about 11 2/5 seconds.

“Laura explained her perfectly to me in the paddock,” Desormeaux said. “I thought she would be like most of the French horses, but she said if she was in the clear she would be easy to manage.

“I asked her the question fully at the top of the stretch and she responded. We were smoking the last eighth of a mile.”

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Takin It Deep, a 10-1 longshot, rallied from well off the pace to win the $100,000 Joseph T. Grace Handicap at Santa Rosa.

Completing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 4/5, the 4-year-old Beau Genius colt won for the sixth time in 22 starts for owner M.A. Douzos and trainer Gil Matos. He was ridden by Joey Castro.

Hoovergetthekeys, an 8-1 longshot who had beaten Take It Deep by a nose to win the Alamedan at Pleasanton, finished second and San Nicolas, an 18-1 longshot who set a blistering pace while battling with Mistakenly Special, was able to hold third in the field of nine.

This afternoon at Santa Rosa, the amazing 10-year-old mule Black Ruby will try for her 46th victory in 52 starts and her ninth in a row when she runs in the second, a $12,500 allowance at 440 yards.