The rise of Macho Uno to the top of the handicap division came toan abrupt halt Saturday when he finished a disappointing third in the$500,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old gray coltran an outstanding race to win the Massachusetts Handicap at SuffolkDowns June 1, altering course quickly after being blocked in thestretch, but he could not gain on front-running winner E Dubai in theSuburban.
Off as the even-money favorite under Gary Stevens, Macho Uno, whoacted up in the paddock before the race, may have been victimized bya speed-favoring surface. Horses went wire-to-wire in five of the sixraces run on dirt at Belmont Saturday, and that was great for thespeedy E Dubai. However, it was not so good for Lido Palace, a top 5-year-old who finished second after being rested since February, orMacho Uno, neither making up any ground in the stretch despite theirbest efforts.
'This racetrack is not fair,' said Joe Orseno, who trains MachoUno for owner Frank Stronach. 'Gary Stevens's exact words were: `Itwas like a trotting horse race.' '
E Dubai is owned by the Godolphin Stable of Sheikh Mohammed ofDubai and conditioned by assistant trainer Tom Albertrani. The son ofMr. Prospector was a $1.35 million yearling purchase from theSeptember Keeneland sales, and he usually races well (career record:10-5-3-0). Nicely handled by John Velazquez, E Dubai, who was 9-2($11.60 to win), got away with a quarter in :24, a half in :48 3/5,and three-qaurters in 1:12 4/5, while encountering only tokenopposition from overmatched long shot Pleasant Breeze. That'spractically a gallop for a horse of E Dubai's quality, and he hadplenty left in the lane to prevail by three-quarters of a length in afinal time of 2:00 4/5 for the mile and one-quarter. Lido Palace, the5-2 second choice, and Jerry Bailey hit the wire a length in front ofMacho Uno.
'He ran very good; he was ready,' said Velazquez. 'I was relaxedon him through most of the race. I was basically a passenger to thequarter-pole. I asked him to run, and he really responded and ranhard.'
The loss by Macho Uno puts Street Cry, who is also owned byGodolphin, in position to be considered the top handicap horse shouldhe win his next race, the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Aug. 3. StreetCry won the $6 million Dubai World Cup in March, then took theStephen Foster at Churchill Downs in June.
Moving forward
Sarava, who captured the Belmont Stakes at 70-1 June 8, is workingforwardly, and his connections have the $1 million Travers Stakes atSaratoga Aug. 24 as their next goal. The son of Wild Again drilled 5furlongs in 1:00 4/5 at Churchill Saturday, and Ken McPeek, whotrains Sarava for the New Phoenix Stable, was pleased. 'He's gettingbetter,' said McPeek. 'We're real excited about him. We want to get anice solid race into him in early August [either the Haskell atMonmouth or the Jim Dandy at Saratoga, both run Aug. 4], and then Ithink we'd have a great shot in the Travers.' . . . It is more likelythat Sarava will race in the Jim Dandy in order to get a race overthe Saratoga surface. However, should he go to the $1 millionHaskell, he will have a rematch with War Emblem, who lost a TripleCrown bid when eighth in the Belmont. Trainer Bob Baffert had said hewas considering the Travers or the Pacific Classic (at Del Mar Aug.25), as well as the Haskell, for War Emblem's next race. But theTravers is at a mile and one-quarter, and the Pacific Classic isagainst older horses. At 1 miles for 3-year-olds, the Haskell isperfect for War Emblem, who is a speed horse. 'He's doing great,'said Richard Mulhall, stable manager for owner Prince Ahmed Salman ofSaudi Arabia. 'We'll send the horse ahead, and then probably justcharter a plane to take us to the Haskell [following Baffert'swedding to Jill Moss Aug. 3 at a location near Del Mar].' . . .Jockey Norberto Arroyo, who began his career at Suffolk and went onto be successful in New York, was arrested Friday following the lastrace at Belmont and charged with assault. According to Nassau Countypolice, Arroyo was involved in an altercation at a pool hall June 9in which three men were struck by a pool cue. One man sufferedserious head injuries, and underwent surgery to relieve a brainhemorrhage. Arroyo was charged with three counts of possession of adangerous weapon, and three counts of assault. He was arraignedSaturday, released on bail, and rode at Belmont Sunday, winning theseventh race aboard Magic and Bird, named for the great basketballrivals, who returned $32.60. In 2000, when Arroyo was an apprentice,he led all riders with 188 victories in New York.
Pair is honored
Shirley Edwards and Jim Greene, founders and administrators of theEighth Pole, a social and health care agency that assists backstretchworkers in New England, yesterday were named winners of the 2002Dogwood Dominion Award. The award, in its 10th year, was created tohonor unsung heroes in racing. Edwards and Greene will be feted at aluncheon at Saratoga July 31, where they will be presented with a$5,000 donation. 'We are very excited and thrilled to receive thisaward,' said Greene. 'It is a tremendous honor.' Said Cot Campbell,president of Dogwood Stable, which sponsors the award: 'In all theyears we have presented this award, there have never been moredeserving winners than Shirley and Jim.'
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