The BEL Gold Cup (Grade 2)- $250.00 Purse
SAR- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Inner Turf
June 4, 2026

The Belmont Racing Festival returns to SAR for the final time, and as a part of it on Thursday, we will have the twelfth running of the Grade 2 BEL Gold Cup, which is a mile and a half on the inner turf course. The race debuted with a purse of $250.00, and saw gradual increases along the way before a peak of $500.00 in 2020. Unfortunately, that was only offered for one year, and the purse declined to its present level in 2023. Past winners of the race start and end with Z, as Z Jinxed One won the initial running of the race, and King Z won the most recent one. Now, Mb Stables will be bringing King Z back to try and become the first two-time winner of the race. Here’s a look at everyone taking part!

1- Test The Waters (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- Returns to the turf for the first time since November, when he ran second in an optional claimer at TAM. A little more than half of his races last season were on the grass, and they include a win in $150.00 Baruch Handicap here in August. His last two races were in graded handicaps on the main track, and the results were mediocre at best. This horse that narrowly missed winning the PRK in 2024 has been working very well in preparation for this start.

2- Inoue (Royalty Stables, ridden by T Gaffalione)- Looking to break a winless streak that dates back to March of 2025 when he captured the $165.00 Cutler Bay at GP. Since then, Inoue had been able to consistently hit the board, running second in both the Grade 3 Quick Call here and the Grade 1 Simpson at KD before barely missing out in the BC Turf Sprint. Recent starts have not been as strong, and that will send him to run long on the turf for the first turf. He’s done that on dirt several times with hit and miss results.

3- King Z (Mb Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Reigned over the BEL Gold Cup last year with a wire to wire effort. The victory was one of three on the year for the Z Grayte One gelding, with a bigger victory happening in October at the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International up north. However, he would not be able to carry that momentum into the BC Turf, where he struggled but has since bounced back. Six weeks ago, he won the Grade 2 Elkhorn at KEE but was flat in the Grade 3 Louisville. His last three starts have been on off tracks, and while he manages to be fine on “good” surfaces, the results suffer when conditions are worse.

4- Boss Spearman (John Henry, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Around this time last year, Boss Spearman got a lot of coverage, as he seemed to be one of the better options for the KYD. He was second in that race, but would essentially be sold immediately after the PRK given that three day window after a private sale is agreed upon. Debuted for John Henry here last year in the BEL with a fourth place effort but struggled afterward and was a non-factor in the BC Classic. Over his last three, he may have turned a corner, and if John Henry has been able to get him back to his old form, then this needs to be a horse to watch out for not only here, but as the year goes on. Won with similar conditions at the Grade 3 Pan American at last time out and has to be an appealing option here because of that.

5- Gold Vault (The Sidley Stud, ridden by M Franco)- Altogether, there are four horses in this field that ran in the Grade 3 Louisville at CD about three weeks ago, which is also at a mile and an half on the turf. Gold Vault took home the gold in that race, coming from off the pace to win by a length on yielding turf. It would be his third win in seven starts after being moved from the dirt, and his second such victory at this distance. With one exception, all of his starts have seen him cash a check, and he does this with the same late-running style which we should see again.

6- Stylish Dime (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- The first time that Stylish Dime was claimed, the new trainer, First Flight Stable, immediately entered him into a graded race. The Grade 2 Smith at AQU proved to be too much for him, and not long thereafter he was back in a claimer. This time, Maxmillion Farm claimed him, and again Stylish Dime’s first race in new silks was in a graded race. One difference between the two here, however, is that Maxmillion gave his new horse almost five months of rest before running him. He’d be rewarded with a second place run in the Grade 3 Louisville over yielding turf.

7- Whipped (The Sidley Stud, ridden by R Santana Jr)- This will be the fifth time in a row that Whipped has run against King Z, and in the prior four races, each boasts a victory. For the Zakouski gelding, that came in the Grade 2 Diarmida with a strong come from behind effort. He would run twice here last year, placing second in the Grade 2 Bowling Green, and then being fourth, though within half a length of the winner, in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer. It seems like he will want to come from off the pace just like his stablemate, so we’ll see if that’s how it actually plays out.

8- Kegger (Ajm Stables, ridden by B Curtis)- Picked up his biggest career win to date here last year, with a powerful come from behind run in the Grade 2 Bowling Green. Following that, he narrowly won the Sword Dancer, but missed the headbob at the wire. He never really continued an upward trajectory after that, although he did continue to produce steady results. Won the $100.000 Jerkens Handicap in December, and has been steady in his three starts this year. Two third place runs in graded races keep him as a contender, and there was nothing really wrong with his fifth place run in the Grade 1 Forester Turf Classic earlier this month, he just needs to find a way to make up that pesky length he is missing by.

9- Dangerous Fugitive (Night Rider Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)- Making his 35th career start here in search of his tenth victory. His most recent win came two back in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes with a come from behind effort. You may have noticed that I have said that about a lot of horses in this field, in that they seem to do their best running late. Dangerous Fugitive does not always employ such a tactic, as last fall, he nearly went wire to wire in the Pattison before only King Z could catch him. He can be inconsistent, so he’ll need to bring his best to have a shot in this field. I think he will.

Prediction: 4-9-3-5

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES