Commissioner Headlines Field of Eight for Hawthorne Gold Cup
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Multiple graded-stakes winning colt
Commissioner headlines a field of eight for the 79
th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup. The Gold Cup takes place
on Saturday and will go as race 8 on a 10 race card.
Owned by WinStar Farm, LLC and trained by Todd Pletcher, Commissioner closed his three-year-old campaign with a narrow head defeat to Tonalist in the 2014 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. Following a six month rest, Commissioner returned in January, finishing third in his first start back. After a sixth-place effort in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap, Commissioner rattled off victories in the Grade 3 Skip Away and the Grade 3 Pimlico Special. Commissioner enters the Hawthorne Gold Cup off a fourth-place effort in the Grade 2 Fayette at Keeneland on October 30. Florent Geroux gets the call aboard Commissioner on Saturday as the 9-5 morning line favorite and carries 119 lbs.
The second and third-place finishers of the Grade 2 Marathon at Keeneland in their last start are both entered in the Gold Cup as Neck’n Neck and Majestic Harbor each carry 117 lbs.
Neck’n Neck comes from the barn of trainer Ian Wilkes as he looks to surpass $1 million in career earnings in the Hawthorne Gold Cup. Graded-stakes placed four times on the year, Neck’n Neck held off Majestic Harbor in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup on September 7 at Parx. Chasing the entire way in the Grade 2 Marathon, Neck’n Neck ran third in that event. Chris Landeros is aboard the 7-2 second choice in the Hawthorne Gold Cup.
From the barn of Paul McGee, Majestic Harbor set the fractions in the Marathon, finishing second in that event. His start prior to the Marathon came in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup at Parx where he finished a half-length behind Neck’n Neck. Francisco Torres will be aboard Majestic Harbor on Saturday. Majestic Harbor is 4-1 in the morning line.
Millionaire Mister Marti Gras takes another shot at the Hawthorne Gold Cup off his second –place effort in the race last year. A ten time winner on his career for owner Lothenbach Stables, Inc. and trainer Chris Block, Mister Marti Gras comes into the Gold Cup off a recent fourth-place effort against allowance-company at Hawthorne onOctober 14. E.T. Baird gets the call as Mister Marti Gras is 8-1 in the morning line.
The field for the Grade 2, $250,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup
PP Horse Trainer Jockey Weight M/L
1 Majestic Harbor P. McGee F. Torres 117 4-1
2 Lahshad R. Dobbs, Jr. J. Felix 114 20-1
3 Valiant City S. Becker C. Emigh 115 6-1
4 Neck’n Neck I. Wilkes C. Landeros 117 7-2
5 Fordubai G. Geier E. Perez 114 12-1
6 Mister Marti Gras C. Block E.T. Baird 115 8-1
7 Commissioner T. Pletcher F. Geroux 119 9-5
8 Street Spice G. Geier T. Thornton 114 15-1
Source: Hawthorne Race Course
Forget the youth, at my rapidly advancing age I can’t help but to root for the old guys....
Chip Honcho prevailed in the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds, giving trainer Steve Asmussen his third...
Hit Parade showed grit and determination to capture Saturday's $100,000 Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds, surviving a stewards'...
Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Mr. A. P. will miss the Kentucky Derby trail after a setback. Trainer Vladimir...
Wolfie's Dynaghost led all performers with a 141 Horse Racing Nation speed figure at Gulfstream Park in the...