GOLD CUP Mineshaft continues winning

The 4-year-old colt registered his third straight Grade I victory.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mineshaft cruised into Horse of the Year territory with another effortless victory, this time taking the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Saturday at Belmont Park.
The 4-year-old colt has three straight Grade I wins, and may have Horse of the Year honors wrapped up even before next month's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Santa Anita.
Right now, there's not a thoroughbred better than Mineshaft, bred and owned by William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm and trained by Neil Howard.
Mineshaft came into the Gold Cup off dominating wins in the Suburban Handicap and Woodward Stakes, both at Belmont, and plans call for one more race -- the $4 million BC Classic -- before the colt is retired to stud.
Brilliant display
Under jockey Robby Albarado, Mineshaft put on an other brilliant display, toying with four rivals before taking the lead around the far turn. By the time the colt hit the stretch, he was in total command and Albarado merely nudged him once with his whip.
"The first thing on my mind was that Mr. Farish created a monster here," Albarado said.
Quest finished second, with Evening Attire third. Sent off as the 3-5 favorite by the crowd of 19,034, Mineshaft returned $2.80 and $2.10. Quest, ridden by Edgar Prado, paid $2.10 to place. State Shinto was fourth and Moon Ballad fifth. There was no show wagering.
Time for the 11/4-mile Gold Cup was 2:00.25.
With the winner's share of $600,000, Mineshaft improved his career earnings to $2,283,402.
Other races
In three other Grade I races with Breeders' Cup implications:
USulamani stumbled and nearly fell on far turn, but gathered himself under Jerry Bailey and easily won the $750,000 Turf Classic Invitational.
UDimitrova held off 63-1 long shot Walzerkoenign and favorite Heat Haze to take the $750,000 Flower Bowl Invitational.
UGhostzapper made a sensational last-to-first run around nine rivals and blew past the leaders in the stretch for a 61/2-length victory in the $500,000 Vosburgh Stakes.
Mineshaft, though, stole the show.
Was 1-for-7 in Europe
The colt had little success in Europe, winning just one of seven races on the turf. So Farish, the United States ambassador to Great Britain, had the horse shipped back to America and into Howard's barn.
Since last November, Mineshaft has won nine of 11 races, with two seconds -- once by a head to Perfect Drift in the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs, the other by 21/2 lengths to Balto Star in the Whirlaway at the Fair Grounds.
"The plan worked," Farish said.