Gronkowski has owner hopeful for Jockey Club Gold Cup win
The founder and CEO of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, Amer Abdulaziz, is confident of a big run from Gronkowski when the colt lines up for Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.
The Chad Brown-trained runner will be making just his third start in the United States, and the head of the world’s only horse racing investment fund is looking forward to seeing him back in action.
“I spoke to Chad at the Keeneland sales “Abdulaziz told the Dubai Racing Channel. “He was very excited about (Gronkowski's) latest breeze. He had another breeze on Sunday when he did five furlongs in one minute flat, which is good news. The horse is doing extremely well. He likes the surface at Belmont compared to the previous race he had.”
That previous run was in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. Gronkowski, named after the New England Patriots' tight end who now owns a piece of the colt, finished off the board. But the Phoenix team is showing optimism heading into his next start back at the site of the Belmont Stakes. Gronkowski ran second to Triple Crown winner Justify.
“He didn’t like the track in the Travers, and the horse got all the mud in his face so backed up a bit,” Abdulaziz said. “The Travers is not an easy race to win, and the two favorites finished in behind. This time we’re going to Belmont, where he likes the track, hoping that he’ll come back and win the race.”
Added to the track conditions, the feeling is, Gronkowski didn’t have the race run to suit. That shouldn’t be the case on Saturday with both Grade 1 Whitney winner Diversify and Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow likely to go forward early.
“That’s perfect for us," Abdulaziz said. “It’s exactly what we need. The pace in the Travers wasn’t strong, but this time there is a strong pace and the horse will love it. We think that the horse can win or place this time.”
Victory would not only make Gronkowski a Grade 1 winner, but could set him on a path to receive interest as a stallion. The breeding arm of Phoenix Thoroughbreds is a key element on how the fund plans to return their investors a profit of 8% annually.
Brown, though, may have another incentive to be successful with this horse.
“The trainer is confident in this horse and has said to me, ‘If I win the Breeders Cup with this horse will you send me some of the top horses that you just bought"' Abdulaziz said. "I told him to go and win the Breeders Cup then we will decide what we are going to do!"