Let’s just say the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course is stacked with stars.
On the final weekend of the summer season at the Spa, betting on the 1 ¼-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup will take a bit more knowledge than simply being a savvy handicapper.
The field includes the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winners from the past two years, Sierra Leone and White Abarrio. Also entered is Mindframe, who defeated reigning 3-year-old champion Sierra Leone in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) on June 28.
The JCGC is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In" event with the winner earning an all-fees paid berth to the $7 million Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
An underlying factor in this race is that Sierra Leone (the 8-5 morning-line favorite) and Mindframe (2-1) already clinched spots in the Classic starting gate. Mindframe won the Stephen Foster and Sierra Leone won the Whitney Stakes (G1) on Aug. 2, both BC “Win and You’re In’’ races.
So, will they be all out to win? Or is a strong, safe effort really all that’s needed in their final preps before the Classic?
A field of nine was entered Wednesday. The other six likely need to win to guarantee their spot in the Classic. Among the top challengers are White Abarrio (8-1), fourth in the Whitney with more than $7 million in earnings, Highland Falls (5-1), winner of last year’s JCGC and second in the Whitney, and Disarm (15-1), who finished third in the Whitney.
Trainer Chad Brown says the Jockey Club Gold Cup against top competition is a perfect lead up to the Classic and chance for consecutive $7 million Classic wins.
“He’s rounding back into form, and I think we have him right back where he was last year towards the end of the year,” Brown said. “I didn’t think he’d run enough, so one more start will do him good. He seems to like a mile and a quarter.”
Flavien Prat has the call leaving from post 3.
Brown also sends out Contrary Thinking (50-1), who has little chance of winning but is likely to set a fast early pace to set up stablemate Sierra Leone for his patented late run to the wire.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher not only sends out Mindframe, he saddles Antiquarian (12-1) as well. He also trains Fierceness, who was sent west to run in Saturday’s $1 million Pacific Classic (G1).
The idea, he said, was to keep Mindframe and Fierceness apart until the Classic. Mindframe was considered for the Whitney but was withdrawn. Last out, Fierceness ran fifth in Whitney.
“A big part of us not running Mindframe back in the Whitney was that he’s coming off a couple huge efforts,’’ said Pletcher. “We felt like the extra time would do him well and we wanted to get a mile and a quarter race into him prior to the Breeders’ Cup, so we felt like we weren’t losing an opportunity on him by waiting for the Jockey Club.”
Irad Ortiz, Jr., rides leaving from post 4.
White Abarrio is a generous 8-1, but it’s tough to tell what kind of performance awaits from the 6-year-old trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr.
He kicked off the year in fine fashion, winning the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in January, but finished fourth in his last two races, the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and the Whitney.
Ricardo Santana, Jr. has the call for the first time leaving from post 5. Ortiz was aboard White Abarrio the past 10 races, but he’s also Mindframe’s regular rider.
Joseph is confident career start No. 23 for White Abarrio is a winning one.
“I feel just as good, if not better right now, as I did when we went into the Pegasus. Talk is cheap, but that’s how I feel,’’ said Joseph. “Everything he’s showing us right now is what you want to see, and hopefully, that carries over to the race.”
Highland Falls, trained by Brad Cox, has been beaten twice in his last three starts by Sierra Leone (second by a length in the Whitney, ninth in the 2024 BC Classic). However, he’s only run twice this year with a win and that solid second in the Whitney.
“I think he's a better horse this year than last,” said Cox of the defending JCGC winner. “I thought he showed that off the layoff at Aqueduct and his last time was really good. It was a bit of a stretched-out field going down the backside, but he sat close enough to the pace there with Fierceness tracking the top two horses and he finished up well. He showed a lot of grit and determination down the lane. He always tries hard.”
Post time for the 1 ¼-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup is 1:45 p.m. ET (Race 5).
For those who bet horse racing ...
1 Disarm (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen), 15-1
2 Highland Falls (Luis Saez, Brad Cox), 5-1
3 Sierra Leone (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown), 8-5
4 Mindframe (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Todd Pletcher), 2-1
5 White Abarrio (Ricardo Santana, Jr., Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 8-1
6 Contrary Thinking (Dylan Davis, Chad Brown), 50-1
7 Phileas Fogg (Kendrick Carmouche, Gustavo Rodriguez), 15-1
8 Antiquarian (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher), 12-1
9 Banishing (Jose Lezcano, David Jacobson), 15-1
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
