Clash of Attila's Storm's rep and Bishop Court Hill's deeds

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Handicappers will have to choose between the reputation of Attila's Storm and the accomplishments of Bishop Court Hill when deciding whom to back in Saturday's $65,000 Paumonok Handicap at Aqueduct.

Though he has received many plaudits for his efforts in graded stakes, Attila's Storm's biggest win is the Fall Highweight Handicap, an ungraded event he won in the fall of 2005. Meanwhile, the underappreciated Bishop Court Hill is a multiple graded stakes winner who took the Grade 1 Carter last April. He won last year's Paumonok and the Grade 3 Gravesend in December, both over the inner track.

Racing secretary P.J. Campo has been impressed with Attila's Storm and made him the 122-pound highweight, two pounds more than Bishop Court Hill.

Attila's Storm came back from a fractured hind leg suffered last January to run in three Grade 1 races in the fall. After finishing third in the Vosburgh, Attila's Storm ran fifth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, but suffered a minor injury in a hind foot. Three weeks later, he injured a front foot when finishing seventh behind BC Sprint winner Thor's Echo in the De Francis Dash.

"The whole timing was a little too much," trainer Richard Schosberg said. "We threw a lot at him in a short period of time against what ended up being the fastest horses in the country."

Both Attila's Storm and Bishop Court Hill have excellent early speed, and the presence of C.C. Lopez on Attila's Storm would indicate that Schosberg wants Attila's Storm in front from the outset. Attila's Storm, breaks from post 3, just inside of Bishop Court Hill.

"I've won two races with Chuckie at the meet, and both came from dead last," Schosberg said. "But he's a fast horse, and he's a good gate rider; we won't give anything away at the start."

Bishop Court Hill, a 7-year-old gelding, is the type of horse who is known to get brave when able to secure an early pace advantage.

"He may be the fastest horse we've ever had in our barn," said Seth Benzel, the trainer of record while Todd Pletcher serves out a suspension. "That gives me the confidence that he can get there, then what happens after that is the question. He's good now, he loves the inner track. I'm going into the race with a lot of confidence."

If a speed duel develops, Wild Jam looms the most capable of the closers.