The BEL Gold Cup (Grade 2)- $250.000 Purse
BEL- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Half on the Turf
June 9, 2023

Last year, the combination of TwinTowersRacing and J R Velazquez hooked up to win the BEL Gold Cup, and now a year later, they have done it again! Getting the honors this time is Proud Bo, a four-year-old gelding that has not won a lot as of yet in his career but there is plenty of time for him to change that. The BEL Gold Cup was just the second time that Proud Go had gone this long, and based on how the first race went you could understand why there was no hurry to return him to this distance. Following a couple of mid-pack finishes in Grade 1’s, this race seemed like a good spot for him, and we did have him on the back end of our picks. This result is the second win in the race for both the trainer and the jockey, as their win together last year was the only other time each had won this event. The race was run in a time of 2:24.47, and that sets a new record for the race! Shame that the purse of the race had to be cut by $150.000 for it, though. Let’s take a look at how it happened!

(1/2 Mile- :48.68)- Master Of Disguise, trained by Mb Stables, is the quickest of them all from the gate and will show the way down the frontstretch for the first time. Hammerfest, from Smokey Stover, also started well, and will tuck in right behind Master Of Disguise after the opening half mile. Behind him, it’s another length to High Fives, who is on the rail for High Voltage, and to his outside, our eventual winner from TwinTowersRacing, Proud Bo, matches his stride. The veteran, Winter Solstice (Mb Stables) is next, then after a couple lengths, it’s The Natural (First Flight Stable) and Cheveley Park (Mo Mentum Farm).

(3/4 Mile- 1:12.90)- The next couple of furlongs do not see much change in the action. Master Of Disguise is still out in front, and they are essentially lined up right behind him with the only one not being in line is Proud Bo. He is still to the outside of High Fives, though has a neck in front of him at this point. Hammerfest is the only one between them and the leader at this point. Winter Solstice continues to run behind them, and the rest had a lot more work to do!

(Top of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- As soon as the backstretch run nears its end, we see both Hammerfest and Proud Bo move over a lane in preparation of making moves in the turn. Master Of Disguise does his best to try and hold on, but midway though the turn, Hammerfest has pulled up alongside him and once he was there, he would make the pass for the lead pretty easily. Proud Bo also continued to make progress, and at the top of the stretch, he was now in second place with only Hammerfest in front of him. High Fives could not be ruled out, as he holds his line in the rail and should have plenty of room to run in the stretch. It’s about three lengths to The Natural, who is moving forward, and then Winter Solstice, who was not. Cheveley Park was looking more and more like a non-factor today.

(Finish- 2:24.47)- In the stretch, both Hammerfest and Proud Bo were running well, but moving into the final furlong, Proud Bo began gaining on the leader. Hammerfest hung tough, and with Proud Bo maybe drifting a tad, this pass took longer than it seemed like it would, but it would eventually come, and it would be Proud Bo celebrating the win with Hammerfest settling for the second spot. It was a length back to a tight third place photo that sees High Fives hang on over late running The Natural. Master Of Disguised tired to fifth, beating only the disappointing Winter Solstice and Cheveley Park.

About The Winner- Proud Bo, trained by TwinTowersRacing and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a four-year-old gelding by Bo Judge and is out of Chai Goddess. He was bred in Louisiana by Bayou Star Farm as a first quarter two-year-old and was acquired by TwinTowersRacing in the March 2021 auction while he was still unraced for $8.050. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fourth in 22 starts, his second stake win and first graded win. His career earnings are now $382.140.

Track: Firm
Time: :48³  1:12⁴  2:00⁴  2:24²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 6 – 4 Paid 28.40
$1 Trifecta: 6 – 4 – 3 Paid 234.40

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES