Pletcher Picks, Chooses a Winner for Shaniko

The morning of the Woodward Stakes, a week ago at Belmont Park, Todd Pletcher called a rival trainer, Rick Dutrow.

“Is your horse still alive?” Pletcher asked, referring to Dutrow’s Saint Liam.

“Yeah, he is,” Dutrow said.

“Well, we’re scratching then,” Pletcher said.

Saint Liam easily won the Woodward, and Pletcher’s Shaniko stayed in the barn. Pletcher found a much easier spot for Shaniko on Saturday, and the 4-year-old colt, running in his first stakes race of the year, won the $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic by 4 1/2 lengths over Ball Four at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. Silver Axe finished third.

Shaniko, the 7-5 favorite, was ridden by Rafael Bejarano for owners Aaron and Marie Jones, who bought him as an unraced 2-year-old for $550,000. Shaniko, once considered a Kentucky Derby prospect, had disappointed in three stakes last year, not finishing better than sixth.

In other Kentucky Cup races at Turfway, run over the track’s new synthetic surface, Stream Cat won the $100,000 Juvenile; Beau Dare was best by 6 1/2 lengths in the $100,000 Juvenile Fillies; Pat Valenzuela rode undefeated Estate Collection to victory for trainer Doug O’Neill in the $100,000 Sprint; and Miss Fortunate won the $175,000 Turfway Breeders’ Cup.

Stream Cat, co-owned by Bobby Hurley, the former Duke and NBA player, came from 12 lengths behind under Gary Stevens.

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Both of the stakes for 2-year-olds at Belmont Park were affected by incidents just before the start or shortly after the gates opened.

In the $300,000 Matron, Along The Sea broke through the gate before the start and traveled a short way before she was rounded up and reloaded. Folklore, at 5-2, won by 14 lengths, giving trainer Wayne Lukas his ninth win in the stake. Miss Norman was second and Along The Sea ran third. India, the even-money favorite, had a stall next to Along The Sea, and was shaken up by the gate incident.

“I knew we should have scratched right then,” said jockey John Velazquez, who finished far back with India. “She was all nervous and she had never been like that.”

Strategy in the $300,000 Futurity changed when Disco’s Son, one of the expected pace-setters, lost his jockey, Javier Castellano, when the colt stumbled a few strides out of the gate. Disco’s Son ran in front of the field from the far turn to the wire as Jerry Bailey rode favored Private Vow to a nine-length win. Changing Weather was second and Dixiewink third.

Private Vow has won three in a row after a second-place finish in his debut.

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Also at Belmont, Smokey Glacken won the $100,000 Floral Park Handicap.... Royal Copenhagen, trained by Laura de Seroux and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, overtook the 1-2 favorite, Singhalese, near the wire for a half-length win in the $200,000 Pucker Up at Arlington Park outside Chicago. The French-bred Royal Copenhagen had lost nine in a row and was winless in the U.S. Singhalese was making her first start since winning the Del Mar Oaks.... Favored Catch My Fancy, ridden by Garrett Gomez for trainer Craig Dollase, won her second race without a loss in the $120,000 Barretts Debutante at Fairplex Park.... Angel Cordero, 63, said he would come out of a 10-year retirement to ride in two stakes races for Pletcher at Philadelphia Park on Oct. 1. Cordero, a Hall of Famer who exercises horses for Pletcher, will donate 25% of his earnings to victims of Hurricane Katrina.