City Zip, he's always working

ELMONT, N.Y. - Just a week after winning the Bergen County Stakes at The Meadowlands, City Zip was back on the Belmont Park work tab Monday morning preparing for his next engagement.

City Zip drilled five furlongs in 1:01.37 over Belmont's training track in preparation for the $150,000, Grade 2 Kentucky Cup Sprint at Turfway Park on Sept. 22. Trainer Linda Rice said she moved City Zip's workout up to Monday because she was flying that night to Lexington to attend the Keeneland yearling sales and wanted to see him train.

A 3-year-old son of Carson City, City Zip won the $100,000 Bergen County just nine days after finishing third in the Grade 1 King's Bishop at Saratoga, breaking a three-race winning streak.

"He's the type of horse that gets fat on us overnight," Rice said about the heavy workload. "I'd rather work him more often and not as hard."

Rice said she chose the Kentucky Cup Sprint over the Grade 1 Vosburgh here the same day because it was six furlongs against 3-year-olds while the Vosburgh is seven furlongs for 3-and-up. Rice plans to use the Kentucky Cup Sprint, then the Forest Hills at Belmont on Oct. 7 as preps for the Breeders' Cup Sprint, part of the World Thoroughbred Championships here on Oct. 27. City Zip is 5 for 5 at six furlongs.

Light weekend for Frankel

Even Bobby Frankel's stable isn't immune from the common equine maladies.

Fleet Foot, an undefeated 3-year-old Frankel was planning to run in Saturday's Jerome Handicap, had mucus in his lungs following a half-mile breeze on Sunday at Belmont and will be forced to skip the race.

Therefore, Frankel will participate in only one of five graded stakes at Belmont this weekend. Of course, he will have the standout favorite when he sends out You in Sunday's Grade 1 Matron. You is coming off a neck victory over Cashier's Dream in the Grade 2 Adirondack on Aug. 13 at Saratoga. Cashier's Dream came back to win the Grade 1 Spinaway by six lengths.

You breezed four furlongs in 48.08 seconds over Belmont's main track on Monday. You is expected to be odds-on against a short field that includes Imperial Gesture, Lujien Lujien, Knock Twice, and possibly Cozie Advantage.

Cashier's Dream, who is nominated to the Matron but will wait for the Oct. 6 Frizette, breezed four furlongs in 50.05 seconds Monday over the training track.

Tabor has another Breeders' Cup horse

In between watching his current stable star, Galileo, run in Ireland and attempting to purchase future stars at the Keeneland yearling sales, Michael Tabor was at Belmont on Sunday afternoon, where a star may have been born.

Bella Bellucci, a daughter of French Deputy, whom Tabor purchased for $925,000 at the Calder 2-year-old-in-training sales in February, overcame a slow start to win her debut by 5 3/4 lengths without feeling the brunt of jockey Mike Smith's whip. She covered the distance in 1:11.07.

"I don't know what she beat, but it was a good performance," Tabor said. "She broke slow and you saw what she did."

Bella Bellucci, trained by Neil Drysdale, will be pointed to the Grade 1 Frizette on Oct. 6 and then the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

On Saturday, Tabor was in Ireland, where he watched Galileo lose a head decision to Fantastic Light in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. It was the first loss of Galileo's career, but Tabor said he would still like to run Galileo back in the Breeders' Cup Classic on dirt.

Tabor is also the owner of Mayakovsky, an exciting 2-year-old prospect, who is slated to run in the Champagne on Oct. 6. Mayakovsky won his maiden at Saratoga, breaking a track record in the process, before finishing second to the unbeaten Came Home in the Grade 1 Hopeful.