King David posts shocking upset in Jamaica Handicap

Former claimer King David posted a shocking upset in the $400,000 Jamaica Handicap (gr. I) this afternoon at Belmont Park, rallying strongly in the final furlong to win the nine-furlong turf race by a half-length at odds of 28-1.

Ridden to victory by Rosie Napravnik, who won the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) earlier on the card, King David broke cleanly and settled into third place as King Kreesa led the way through very, very slow fractions of :25.89, :52.29, and 1:18.15 over a course labeled good. Howe Great was 1 1/2 lengths behind in second, with King David back in third by a similar margin. Summer Front was racing another length back in fourth, followed then by Cogito and Dullahan. Shkspeare Shaliyah was the trailer.

Rounding the final turn, Howe Great began to tire, leaving King Kreesa alone on the lead. But Summer Front was making a strong run along the rail, and King David was closing in strongly on the outside.

A sixteenth of a mile from the finish, Summer Front had to steady along the rail, ending his chances at victory. This left King Kreesa and King David to fight it out alone, with the latter colt eventually getting the better of the latter in game fashion. The final time was 1:52.91 seconds.

Summer Front finished another three-quarters of a length back in third, while Cogito rounded out the superfecta. Dullahan failed to present a serious rally and finished fifth as the heavy favorite. Shkspeare Shaliyah and Howe Great trailed the field.

The winner, a son of Hat Trick out of the Gone West mare Storm West, has now won five straight races -- four claiming events and the Jamaica. He is owned by Scarlet Stable and trained by Mike Maker.

-Keelerman

Jamaica Handicap Entries: Dullahan preps for BC

Dullahan, winner of the $1,000,000 Pacific Classic (gr. I) last month, is among the eight horses entered in the $400,000 Jamaica Handicap (gr. I), to be held on Saturday at Belmont Park.

The son of Even the Score is using the nine-furlong turf race as a prep for one of three Breeders' Cup races -- the $5,000,000 Classic (gr. I), the $3,000,000 Turf (gr. I), and the $2,000,000 Mile (gr. I). Trained by Dale Romans and owned by Donegal Racing, Dullahan is considered to be one of the finest colts of his generation, and a victory in the Jamaica would give him an opportunity to steal leadership of the division from Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another, who was retired in June with a tendon injury.

His primary opposition may come from Summer Front, who most recently finished a decent third in the Secretariat Stakes (gr. I) at Arlington Park. However, the Christophe Clement-trainee is expected to scratch from the race should the turf turn up less than firm.

Other contenders include Cogito, a European shipper that is group II placed in Europe; Unbridled Command, winner of the Saranac Stakes (gr. III); and Howe Great, who defeated Dullahan earlier this year in the Palm Beach Stakes (gr. III).

Post Positions:

PP	Horse	Weight	Jockey	Trainer
1	Unbridled Command	117	Cornelio Velasquez	Thomas Bush
2	King David	112	Rosie Napravnik	Mike Maker
3	Dullahan	123	Joel Rosario	Dale Romans
4	Cogito	118	Frankie Dettori	Brian Meehan
5	Summer Front	121	Ramon Dominguez	Christophe Clement
6	Shkspeare Shaliyah	114	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Doodnauth Shivmangal
7	Howe Great	121	John Velazquez	Graham Motion
8	King Kreesa	116	Eddie Castro	Jeremiah Englehart

-Keelerman