Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational Stakes
by Patricia Woo | Sep 27 2010
The highlight of the fall racing season at Belmont is the
$750,000 Gr. 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational Stakes held this year on Saturday, Oct. 2. Among the 3-year-olds and up pointing to the 1 ¼ mile race are Blame, Rail Trip and Mythical Power.
Aided by the sidelining of Travers Stakes champion Afleet Express, Blame will go into the Jockey Club Gold Cup as one of the frontrunners. This 4-year-old son of Arch has had a stellar 2010 campaign, undefeated in all three starts this year. His wins include the Gr. 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 12 and – most impressively – the Gr. 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 7 over Quality Road. Trained by Albert Stall, Blame has in his skillset a strong finishing kick and ability to rally. He will be stretching out to 1 ¼ miles for the first time but has been training well at Keeneland – posting a 6-furlong breeze in 1:12.00 on Sept. 19 – and should be well-rested. Blame's career record is 8-1-2 and he has earned $1,518,214 from 11 starts.
Another older male having an excellent 2010 campaign is top contender Rail Trip. This 5-year-old gelded son of Jump Start added two grade 2 titles to his resume this year: the Mervyn Leroy Stakes on May 8 and the Californian Stakes on June 12, both at Hollywood Park. However, in his latest outing, he failed to defend his Gr. 1 Hollywood Gold Cup title on July 10, losing the race in a thrilling stretch duel to Awesome Gem. Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., Rail Trip turned in a 6-furlong breeze in 1:13.25 at Aqueduct on Sept. 22 in preparation for Saturday's race. He has earned $1,067,790 from 12 starts and has a record of 8-3-1.
Trying to get back to the winner's circle is 4-year-old Mythical Power, a Kentucky-bred son of Congaree. Trained by Bob Baffert, Mythical Power has not won a race since his graded stakes debut in the Gr. 3 Texas Mile at Lonestar Park on April 24. Since then, he has tried his hand at dirt and synthetic tracks – Prairie Meadows and Del Mar – and has not had much luck; his runner-up result in the Gr. 1 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 4 is deceiving, as race winner Quality Road was much the best – by 4 ¾ lengths – and Mythical Power had to hold off a rival for second. Still, his training has been satisfactory – he posted a 5-furlong breeze in 1:00.60 at Belmont Park on Sept. 18 – and his track experience should serve him well. Mythical Power has earned $754,540 from 13 starts and is 3-3-1.
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