Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Contact: Jenny Kellner
ELMONT, N.Y. – Saturday’s 94th running of the Grade 1, $1 million TVG Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational, the centerpiece of “Super Saturday” at Belmont Park, has drawn a deep and competitive field of 10, including six Grade 1 winners hoping to stake their claim to divisional supremacy.
A little more than 1 ¼ lengths separated winner Fort Larned, runner-up Ron the Greek and third-place finisher Flat Out in the Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course, and all three are returning for the 1 ¼-mile TVG Jockey Club Gold Cup, which also offers an automatic berth in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park on November 4 as a “Win and You’re In” race.
“The Whitney is a very prestigious race, and it’s an honor just to be in a race like the Jockey Club Gold Cup,” said Ian Wilkes, who trains
“I couldn’t be happier with the way he’s coming into the race, and I don’t think the distance will be a concern,” said Wilkes of Fort Larned, who drew post position 5. “These races are never easy, and there are some very good horses in there – you have Bill Mott with two of them [Ron the Greek and Flat Out], and Shug McGaughey with another [Hymn Book].”
In last year’s Gold Cup, Mott sent out eventual Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer to finish second to Flat Out, then trained by Scooter Dickey. While Flat Out is still seeking his first win since the 2011 Gold Cup, Ron the Greek has posted two Grade 1 victories this year, heading Wise Dan to add the Stephen Foster to his earlier triumph in the 1 ¼-mile Santa Anita Handicap.
“I’m very pleased with the way both of them are coming into the race,” said Mott, who won the Gold Cup in 1995 with the legendary Cigar. “Flat Out has had a fair amount of time to get over the Whitney. We’ve had a nice training schedule since then, and obviously he’s run well on the track before [winning the Grade 2 Suburban in 2011]. I mean, that’s got to be a bonus anytime you’ve got one running on any particular track, if they’ve already been a dual winner there.”
The Hall of Fame trainer has named Joel Rosario to ride Flat Out, who drew post position 9 as the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.
The 5-2 morning-line favorite is Ron the Greek, who drew the rail under regular rider Jose Lezcano. The 5-year-old son of Full Mandate has often closed from well off the pace to finish first or second in all eight starts for Mott, who took over training last summer.
“With any sort of honest pace in the race, Ron the Greek is a deep closer,” said Mott. “Given the extra eighth of a mile, that should help him sustain his run.”
McGaughey, another Hall of Fame trainer, will be trying for a fourth Gold Cup victory with Hymn Book, having won the race in 1985 with Vanlandingham, in 1989 with Easy Goer, and in 1993 with Miner’s Mark.
Most recently fourth in the Whitney, Hymn Book opened his 6-year-old campaign with a nose victory over Mission Impazible in the 1 1/8-mile Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park, with his best finish since then a second to Mucho Macho Man in the Grade 2 Suburban in July. Overall at
“Hymn Book’s races here have always been good, and if he gets away well and is in the race then I think he’ll have a big chance,” said McGaughey. “He’s doing really well, so we’ll see. He was closing here going a mile and an eighth, so [the extra distance] might end up helping him while it might hinder some of the others. He’s bred to run that far, so I don’t think that will get in his way.”
Hymn Book, 5-1 on the morning line, will be ridden from post 4 by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.
Three-years-olds have fared well in the Gold Cup, and getting a four-pound break in the weights under 122 pounds are sophomores Fast Falcon and Atigun, who were third and fourth, respectively, behind the dead-heated winning duo of Alpha and Golden Ticket in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga.
The lightly raced Fast Falcon, who was making his Grade 1 debut in the Travers for Hall of Famer Nick Zito, is 0-2-1 in four starts after breaking his maiden in May at Pimlico. At 12-1 on the morning line, he will be ridden by Corey Nakatani from post position 7.
Third in the Belmont Stakes in his only local appearance, Atigun is 15-1 on the morning line, having drawn post position 6 with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard.
The Todd Pletcher-trained
“Ramon has success on Stay Thirsty in the [Grade 3]
Rounding out the field are 2011 Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice, 20-1, and Game Ball, 50-1, most recently eighth in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational on the grass at Saratoga.
The field for the Grade 1 TVG Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | 126 | 5-2 | |||
| 2 | 126 | 12-1 | |||
| 3 | 126 | 20-1 | |||
| 4 | 126 | 5-1 | |||
| 5 | 126 | 7-2 | |||
| 6 | 122 | 15-1 | |||
| 7 | 122 | 12-1 | |||
| 8 | 126 | 12-1 | |||
| 9 | 126 | 3-1 | |||
| 10 | 126 | 50-1 |
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