The Jockey Club Gold Cup, Purse $1,000.000, Grade 1, One Mile and 1/4th, Dirt for 3+ Year Olds
This is the big race of the day everywhere in the United States and it is one of the last chances that horses have to make their pus to enter the starting gates in the Breeders Cup Classic. The winner of this race ensures that they will be in the starting gate which is why this race has drawn a field of 18 horses. The headliner of this field is reigning Breeders Cup Classic winner Niagara but there are many other elite challengers looking to try and knock him off. Let’s take a look at the field and see if we can separate some of these runners :
1-Nile Warrior (Canadian Racing)- He has raced 24 times in his career with 13 of those resulting in wins. He has accumulated over $5,000.000 in earnings in his career and is fresh off a win in a nice Grade 1 race last time out. He also comes into the race winning 2 out of his last 3 races both of those wins coming in graded stakes races. He also comes in winning 3 of his 6 starts in 2015. He needs points in this race to ensure that he makes the Breeders Cup Classic field to try and see if he can do better than his 2nd place finish. He looks like he is ready to roll in this race based upon the works in the morning.
2-Stranger (Sanny Village)- The jewel of the most recent auction he was purchased by Sanny Village for $450.010. He has raced 10 times with 5 of those being wins. He also comes into the race winning 3 in a row and 5 out of his last 7 races. Every one of those wins have come in state bred races and the last 3 of them were in overnight stakes. This will be his first test in a Grade 1 race and this is a huge step up in class for him. The public works that are showing for him are very fast but he has not posted a public work since his last win. He looks like he may be ready to make a step up but we will find out if he can make this leap.
3-Niagra (D J C Racing Stables)- The reigning Breeders Cup Classic winner has raced 19 times with 7 of those starts being wins. He has had a light racing year in 2015 racing 5 times with 1 win but he has not missed the board. These races have been some of the biggest races of the year. In his last 2 races he has been beaten by a neck in both races, yet he always seems to put in huge efforts and is always right there in the end. He also appears to be sitting on a big race as he has posted some very nice 6 furlong works in the morning. Just like every race I have covered with him in it, I feel he has to be the favorite going into the race.
4-Visa Vice (MB Stables)- This 8 year old has raced 54 times with 12 of those starts resulting in a win. In 2015 he has raced 6 times with one of those races resulting in a win. He is also one of the horses that needs to have a nice showing in this race to ensure that he can run again in the Breeders Cup Classic this year. His only win this year came in his first start of 2015 and he has yet to put it all together since that win. He is still training very well in the morning but I think it may take a little bit of work for this 8 year old to get back to his winning ways and earn a spot in the biggest race of the year.
5-Royal Prodigy (MB Stables)- He has started 9 times in his career winning 3 times in those starts with a win in his most recent start in a nice Grade 2 race. This horse really seems to be maturing at the right time of the year, and that last run proved that he can run against some top company. He appears to have come out of that race well and posted 2 nice public works in the morning that tell me that he could be sitting on a big race. Don’t sleep on this horse I wouldn’t be shocked if he pulled a huge upset here.
6-Chrystal Pip (Chili King Stables)- He has raced 14 times in his life with 4 wins, but has won 2 out of his last 3 starts all of which have been in Grade 1 races. His only loss in that stretch was a 2nd where he was closing in his last race the Grade 1 Travers. He has raced 8 times this year and had won 2 but those wins were recent and were in the biggest races, so he shows up when the lights are the brightest. This also is the best post position draw he has seen recently and I look for even an improved effort on his recent races because of this….if that is possible.
7-Phelps (MB Stables)-He has raced 18 times with 10 of those starts resulting in wins. In 2015 he has started 6 times with 4 wins a 2nd and a 3rd. 2 of the wins this year came in graded stakes races but they were both grade 3 races. He was stepped up to his first Grade 1 race of the year last out and was a hard closing 3rd in the race, going todays distance. He did that from the same post that he drew today so I would expect a similar type effort, and possibly a step up if he can sit closer earlier in the race.
8-Devine And Broke (Sanny Village)-The Breeders Cup Juvenile winner from last year has not made any impact on 2015 as he has yet to record a win this year. In his career he has 4 wins in 12 starts and is a multiple graded stakes winner. He has run in no race lower then a Grade 2 in 2015 and it won’t stop in this race. There are no public works for him since his last race so its hard to say if he will find his form again and get back to his winning ways. I think it may be just a bit to much to ask in this tough field.
9-General Chimera (Sanny Village)- He has raced 21 times in his career with 6 of those races resulting in a win. He has started 5 times in 2015 and has won 1 of those races and that was his last race out. He had to step down in class to an allowance race to get that win but hopefully it will be a confidence builder for him that will lead him to get back to his graded stakes winning quality that he showed early last year. His only public work recently is a bit slower than earlier in the year so I am sure owner Sanny Village is hoping that is not a sign of things to come.
10-Greek Poet (Hawaiian Shirt Guy)-He comes into the race running 13 times with 4 of those starts being wins. He has run 8 times in 2015 with 3 of those starts being wins. He dominated the first 2 legs of the Canadian Triple Crown winning both of the first legs and then opting to not try the turf to complete it but rather opting to take on the best 3 year olds in the game and run in the Travers. He ran a respectable 4th in that race finishing 3 lengths behind the winner. He appears to have come out of that race well and is training well in the morning but it will take a large step up to beat this field.
11-Hardline (Downwind Stables)-He has raced 22 times with 7 of those races resulting in a win. In 2015 he has raced 6 times with 1 win and 3 second place finishes. His win came in his first start of 2015 and since that race he has only raced in Grade 2 or Grade 1 races. He is also one of those horses that needs to get some points in this race to lock up his spot in the Breeders Cup Classic and he is hoping to get that here. He has not posted any public works since the last race so its hard to tell if he is ready to step up. This is an honest horse that seems to try every time so you have to give him serious consideration.
12-King Cobra (Aer Stables)- He has raced 13 times with 4 of those starts being win. In 2015 he has raced 8 times with 4 of those races resulting in wins. Those 4 wins came in his first 4 starts in the year and ended with winning the Kentucky Derby. It looks like that stretch took a toll on him as he has missed the board in his 4 starts since that race but he has been taking on elite competition. He has not posted a public work since July so its hard to say if he has gotten back into form but this is a tough field and he drew a tough post, but you can never count this horse out.
13-Hyper Silver (Night Rider Stables)- He has raced 27 times with 10 of those races resulting in a win. In 2015 he has raced 6 times with 3 of those resulting in a win. The 3 wins in 2015 have all come in stakes races with 2 of those being in graded stakes races. He also finished a nice 2nd in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic last out. He only has one public works out of that last race but he does appear to be getting better as he has gotten older. He is right on the boarder of getting into the Breeders Cup Classic so he has to hope for some points her to ensure he will be running.
14-Ghouls Gold (Eastern Equine)-This 5 year old has started 8 times with 4 of those being wins. In 2015 he has started 4 times with 3 of those being wins and those 3 wins came in a row to start the 2015 year and were progressing up the class ladder. His last race was in a Grade 1 race and it was his first shot at that level and his win streak ended when he finished 5th in the Woodward. He appears to have come out of that race well and posted a couple nice workout times in the morning. Maybe the 2nd go around in a Grade 1 race will yield better results for this horse.
15-Graceful Shadow (Aer Stables)-Also Eligible
16-Have A Seat (MB Stables)-Also Eligible
17-Russian Whiskey (Running Farms)-Also Eligible
18-Fast Is Still Fast (Sanny Village)-Also Eligible
There is a lot of potential drama that could come out of this race as there are several horses who are looking to move into the Breeders Cup Classic and others who are trying to hold onto their spot. This is an elite field of horses who are assembled here and the winner could come from many different areas. With that said here is my prediction: 6-3-7-2
Warbucks
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
