The JC Gold Cup (Grade 1)- $1,000.00 Purse
BEL- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Quarter on the Dirt
September 18, 2026

There was no shortage of horses taking to the track in the virtual JC Gold Cup, with four…teen horses participating, making it more than worthy of the “win and you’re in” distinction for the BC Classic that it proudly carries. Mb Stables did seem to have a good shot at it, bringing in three horses that were all very capable of grabbing the win, and in the end, we were just a headbob away from two of them sharing a win. Diametric would prevail in this one over Edward The Good, giving Mb his sixth victory in the race. Aboard the winner was R Santana Jr, who is now a first time JC Gold Cup winner. Congratulations to them! The time of the race was 2:00.25, which is around the midpoint of past winning times. Let’s take a look at it now!

(½ Mile- :47.01)- Mr Monarch pushes forward from the outside for Simmer Down Stable, and will open up a two length lead on his closest competitors. The second spot is where we find the Mb Stables- trained Extreme Jet, who surely will not disappoint us for picking him. He’s a length ahead of a group of four, one that sees Noblepark’s Gymnast having the upper hand by half a length. Diametric, our eventual winner from Mb Stables, is positioned right to the inside of that one, and in the fourth lane is where his stablemate, Edward The Good will run. Eight West Party is on the rail here for TwinTowersRacing. Behind them, Nakamura Stables- trained Special Event runs in the middle of the pack while having Gdp Inc’s Jake From Statefarm running beside him. Next up, Criminal Law (D J C Racing Stables) and The Stone Pony (Maletto) run together. The trailers are Aztec Death Whistle (Langley Farms), Maymun (Mo Mentum Farm), Don’t Ever Try It (Night Rider Stables) and Sick Boi (Royalty Stables).

(3/4 Mile- 1:11.18)- Mr Monarch still leads the field as the backstretch run concludes and the hit the top of the turn. Extreme Jet is running his typical race, it would appear, holding tight to the rail in the second spot, but both Gymnast and Edward the Good have been gaining and look to go by on his outside. There’s a bit of room for Diametric to make a push here as well, but for now he’s not going to pressure his stablemate. Eight West Party is still on the rail, and boxed in if he wanted to make any sort of move. Jake from Statefarm and Special Event are a length behind this group, and positioned well. Behind them, it’s still Criminal Law and The Stone Pony, who are ahead by two lengths over the rest of the field, who remain Aztec Death Whistle, Maymun, Don’t Ever Try It and Sick Boi.

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Mr Monarch hangs on to the lead in the turn, maintaining a steady stride, but as they approach the top of the stretch, it’s starting to look like it will not be enough. Gymnast and Edward The Good move forward, and should both be commended for their amazing courtesy in the turn as they moved down a couple lanes to allow plenty of room for Diametric to come on through. Diametric would do that, and hopefully R Santana Jr said “thank you” to F Pennington on Gymnast as he went on by and moved Diametric into third for now. That also meant Eight West Party was no longer boxed in, and he would use the chance ti complete the pass of the surprisingly struggling Extreme Jet. Jake From StateFarm is looking good, leaving Special Event behind as he makes a push forward. Also advancing is The Stone Pony, making up quite a bit of ground and looking like he could have a shot at this point. Criminal Law, who had been running with him did not have the same response. Maymun and Aztec Death Whistle are getting a little closer now, but still have seemingly too many horses to pass. It’s not looking good for the supporters of Sick Boi and Don’t Ever Try It.

(Finish- 2:00.25)- Into the stretch, Edward The Good and Diametric take over the top two spots and look to settle it between themselves for stable bragging rights. No one behind them seemed to be pushing forward quickly enough, though several were running well, such as Jake From Statefarm and Maymun. They were not going to be close enough, and as Gymnast starts to back out in the final furlong, it’s going to be a 1-2 Mb finish. But, will it be the Pacific Classic winner getting another big win a month later with Diametric, or the Suburban winner, Edward the Good, grabbing his third win in four starts. At the wire, it was very close. So close, that some wondered for a moment if they were both going to be declared winners. However, the photo would reveal enough of an edge for Diametric to declare him the winner on Edward The Good. Gymnast hangs on for third, and the award for “Courteous horse of the race”. Jake From Statefarm opens some eyes with his fourth place run, prevailing over the late running Maymun. Pacesetter Mr Monarch drops to sixth, one spot ahead of The Stone Pony, a horse that seemed positioned for better in the stretch. The second half of the running order will read: Sick Boi, Eight West Party, Criminal Law, Aztec Death Whistle, a disappointing Extreme Jet, Special Event, and Don’t Ever Try It.

About The Winner- Diametric, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by R Santana Jr, is a five year old gelding by Inside Draw and is out of the late Brittle Sun. He was bred as a first quarter two year old by Barcelona Farms in California, and acquired by Mb Stables for $100.00 in a February 2024 private sale. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his 11th in 26 starts, and his sixth stake win, all of which are graded. His career earnings are now $3,088.42.

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES