Summer Bird makes history in Gold Cup

Fresh off his victory in the $1 million Travers at Saratoga Race Course, Summer Bird took on older horses for the first time in today's Grade 1 $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on a wet and sloppy afternoon at Belmont Park.

Despite having to check early and then getting challenged late by record-setting Grade 1 winner and fellow 3-year-old Quality Road, Summer Bird flew to a one-length victory in 2:02.51 for 1 1/4 miles.

It was the third consecutive Grade 1 win for Summer Bird, who became the first horse since Easy Goer in 1989 to win the Belmont Stakes, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Trained by Tim Ice and favored at 8-5, Summer Bird ($4.50) raced five wide along the backstretch, closing the gap on leader Quality Road on the far turn. The two drew even at the quarter pole when Quality Road and jockey John Velazquez drifted to the right, floating Summer Bird out wider.

Summer Bird and jockey Kent Desormeaux surged to the lead at the eighth pole and dueled with Quality Road until pulling clear in the final 70 yards on a main track turned to soup by heavy rains.

"When Kent swung him to the outside, I knew he had the spot he wanted," Ice said. "He had said in the paddock the inside wasn't that good, so he wanted him about four or five off the rail. When Summer Bird took the lead, I was very confident that no one was goign to get in front of him.

"Summer Bird was hanging a little bit on him. Kent said it was easier than it looked. He was in no doubt he was going to win the race. He's that kind of racehorse. He's going to dig back in. I was feeling pretty confident."

Ice opted to keep Summer Bird in New York for the Gold Cup rather than take him to California for the Goodwood next weekend at Santa Anita, where the Breeders' Cup Classic will be run over the artificial Pro-Ride surface on Nov. 7.

Other 3-year-olds to win the Belmont, Travers and Jockey Club are Man o'War (1920), Twenty Grand (1931), One Count (1951), Gallant Man (1957), Sword Dancer (1959), Damascus (1967), Arts and Letters (1969) and Temperence Hill (1980).

"I think this puts him in an elite group," Ice said. "He should be named (champion) 3-year-old colt."

Tizway, a 23-1 long shot trained by Jim Bond, finished third, followed by Macho Again, Dry Martini, Sette E Mezzo and Asiatic Boy.

Owned by Roger and Joyce Locks of Saratoga Springs and Ballston Spa native Jim Cutbush through West Point Thoroughbreds, Macho Again had run second in the Grade 1 Whitney to Bullsbay and Grade 1 Woodward to Rachel Alexandra in his last two starts. He won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster and Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap this year.