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

There will be plenty of excitement at BEL this weekend, with several entertaining races on Friday getting us started for the bigger day on Saturday. Among those races will be the ninth running of the BEL Gold Cup, which is for older turf horses that like to just keep going and going with a twelve furlong distance. The current purse that is offered, $250.000, is a low point for a race that saw it run for as much as $500.000 in 2020, and for $400.000 the last two years. The very first edition of this stake took place in 2015 with Z Jinxed One getting the victory, and a year later, La Rosa Stables got a big win with March Madness! Among the winners after that were Techfluence and Taniwha, which led us into the 2022 victory of Key Biscayune That gelding is still active but will not be getting a chance to defend his title, something that would have been unlikely anyway. We’ll have some very well accomplished horses in this field, so let’s take a look at who is taking part!

#1- Cheveley Park (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by L Dettori)- In his last five races, Cheveley Park has been the definition of hot and cold, with a pair of wins and three other races where he was eighth or worse. Those results have alternated, so if the pattern holds true, then we will see him in the winner’s circle here. Two races ago, on April Fool’s Day, he earned a 102 SRF in the Grade 2 Pan American, but then completely struggled in the Grade 1 Man O War. Does he just not like tracks when there has been a drop of rain? That’s a possible excuse here but there is a 49% chance as of Tuesday for isolated showers on Friday.

#2- Winter Solstice (Mb Stables, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- One of the top active horses in the game right now, and it will be the 50th start for the eight year old that doesn’t only race well in the winter months. This will be his second appearance in the BEL Gold Cup, having last run in 2020, where he was third. Otherwise, he’s been a runner in the Manhattan, instead, over this race weekend. Winter Solstice had success with both Maxmillion Farm and John Henry before arriving with Mb Stables for $250.000 last September, and this will be his sixth start for his newest trainer. Ran second at the Man O War here last month.

#3- High Fives (High Voltage, ridden by D Davis)- Back in September, High Fives picked up a win in the Grade 2 DMR Handicap, then followed that up two months later by running second in the Grade 2 Smith. That is where the positive momentum died off, and he has been a non-factor in the three starts that followed. He’s had two months off since he was last out there for the Grade 2 Whittingham, and perhaps the rest will do him good, but this isn’t a horse that was raced often to begin with, so it will take more than just the time off to get him going again.

#4- Hammerfest (Smokey Stover, ridden by D E Centeno)- A winner of over $2,200.000 for his career but you have to look back a bit to find his best results. This is a six-year-old gelding now, and this will be his 40th start. Since the beginning of 2022, he’s only made one stake start, and has otherwise been running in high end open allowance. However, that stake is very relevant, as it was a win just two back in the Muniz Memorial Handicap at FG. He’s been very good at a mile and a half but has not attempted a race like this since late 2021.

#5- Master of Disguise (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- In his last start, Master of Disguise was absolutely dominant with a four-length win, while running this distance at the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Handicap. It was his third win in his ninth start, and when he has won in the past, he has done so convincingly. The question now will be whether or not he can do so consistently, because if he can, then we may see this one as a future megastar on the grass. His last two races have seen triple digit SRF’s, and it will important for him to carry that momentum into this race.

#6- Proud Bo (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Looking to pick up the second straight win in the BEL Gold Cup for his trainer, but he is going to need to be better than he was in his last two starts. 2023 started well for him, winning the $100.000 Bradley before heading to the Canadian Turf, which despite its name, is run at GP, and placed third there. From that, it was off to a pair of Grade 1’s, and that proved to be a little too much for Proud Bo. Dropping back a bit from the Makes Mark Mile and the Forester Turf Classic may do him good but he’ll have to like the longer distance. He’s tried it once, but it may be too far back to put a lot of weight into predicting how he may do here.

#7- The Natural (First Flight Stable, ridden by T Gaffalione)- If you want a horse that has been hot, then this is the one for you as he will be looking for his fourth straight win. Those wins started in a N1X allowance at FG, and as of now have led into the Grade 3 Louisville at CD three weeks ago. All of those races saw him go at least ten furlongs, and if it does end up raining, The Natural may become more appealing. Three of his last four races have come on off tracks, so First Flight Stable may be hoping for that rain, at least when it comes to this race!

Prediction: 2-7-5-6

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES