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Perfect Drift Heads Field of 10 for Hawthorne Gold Cup

STICKNEY, IL -- 2003 winner and 2004 runner-up Perfect Drift heads a field of 10 for the 2005 edition of the Grade 2, $750,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap. Saturday’s race will be run at 1 ¼ miles on the main track and has traditionally been a final prep race for many heading to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

In the 2004 edition of the Gold Cup, heavily favored Perfect Drift was run down in the final strides by longshot Freefourinternet. Those two hook up once again.

Owned by Stonecrest Farm and trained by Murray Johnson, Perfect Drift has drawn the five-hole for the Gold Cup as he looks for his third win on the year. Lightly raced in 2005, Perfect Drift was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Washington Park Handicap at Arlington on July 30. He followed that race up with a game effort while missing by only a half-length as he ran second in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic in his last start on August 21. The morning line-favorite at 9-5, Perfect Drift will be ridden once again by Mark Guidry.

Second choice in the Gold Cup is Millennium Farms Super Frolic. Trained by Vladimir Cerin, Super Frolic also took on the big boys in his last. Racing on the pace much of the way in the Pacific Classic before tiring to finish fifth, he was beaten only five lengths in that start. Shipping from California for the Gold Cup, Super Frolic is the 9-2 second choice and will be ridden by Victor Espinoza.

Robert Bone’s Desert Boom also comes in from the West Coast as this Art Sherman trainee looks to continue a fine 2005 campaign. A winner of five of eight starts on the year, Desert Boom defeated Lord of The Game in the Claiming Crown Jewel on July 16 before most recently running third in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile, beaten by less than a length. Taking on the toughest competition of his career, Desert Boom is 5-1 in the morning line and will be ridden by Roberto Gonzalez.

Trainer Shug McGaughey’s Good Reward returns to the dirt after a recent turf campaign. He comes off a rather dull effort over the wet going in the Arlington Million in his last. In his start prior, however, Good Reward was a game winner of the Grade 1 Manhattan on June 11. 6-1 in the morning line, Good Reward will be ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan.

The field for the Hawthorne Gold Cup:

Hawthorne Gold Cup – Grade 2 - $750,000 – 1 ¼ Miles Dirt

P.P. Horse Jockey Trainer M/L
1. Lord of the Game Eusebio Razo, Jr. Tom Tomillo 10-1
2. Freefourinternet Greta Kuntzweiler Michael Maker 30-1
3. Super Frolic Victor Espinoza Vladimir Cerin 9-2
4. Desert Boom Roberto Gonzalez Art Sherman 5-1
5. Perfect Drift Mark Guidry Murray Johnson 9-5
6. Fantasticat Gerard Melancon Bobby Barnett 12-1
7. Collateral Damage Roman Chapa Bernard Flint 30-1
8. Mambo Train E.T. Baird Nick Canani 8-1
9. Good Reward Shaun Bridgmohan Shug Mcgaughey 6-1
10. Home of Stars James Graham Frank Springer 15-1

The 9-race undercard for the Fall Harvest Festival of Racing includes a pair of turf stakes with the running of the Indian Maid Breeders’ Cup Handicap and the Grade 3 Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap each. Carrying a purse of $150,000, the Indian Maid drew a very competitive field of six while the Carey has a strong field of nine.

The fields and Morning line for the Indian Maid and Robert F. Carey Memorial:

Indian Maid Breeders’ Cup - $150,000 Added – 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)

P.P. Horse Jockey Trainer M/L
1. Samantha B. C.H. Marquez, Jr. Mark Cristel 10-1
2. Sister Swank Shaun Bridgmohan Steve Asmussen 2-1
3. Noisette Brice Blanc William Mott 5-2
4. Journey Fever Mark Guidry Robert Holthus 8-1
5. Chic Dancer Chris Emigh Christine Janks 3-1
6. Atlantic Frost Larry Sterling, Jr. Mickey Goldfine 9-2

Robert F. Carey Memorial – Grade 3 - $150,000 Guaranteed – 1 Mile (Turf)

P.P. Horse Jockey Trainer M/L
1. Spruce Run Rex Stokes Linda Rice 10-1
2. Remind Brice Blanc William Mott 7-2
3. Gondolieri (CHI) Victor Espinoza Steve Asmussen 6-1
4. Old Deuteronomy Shane Laviolette Niall O’Callaghan 8-1
5. Major Rhythm Earlie Fires Ed Beam 8-1
6. Fort Prado Eusebio Razo, Jr. Chris Block 4-1
7. G P Fleet Jesus Castanon Steve Flint 3-1
8. Wimplestiltskin E.T. Baird Nick Canani 12-1
9. Just See James Uriel Lopez Kris Turner 20-1

For more information about the Fall Harvest Festival of racing visit www.hawthorneracecourse.com or call Hawthorne Race Course at 708-780-3700.