Jockey Club Gold Cup, other Belmont stakes fields take shape
Fields are taking shape for the four graded stakes on September Super Saturday, the first of two must-see weekends of the Belmont Park Fall Championship Meet including three Breeders' Cup qualifiers.
New York-bred millionaire Diversify tops probable contenders for the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 ¼ miles, carrying an all-fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic. The Gold Cup is also expected to include Thunder Snow, winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in March, as well as a pair of 3-year-olds in Belmont Stakes runner-up Gronkowski and Europe-based Mendelssohn, second in the Grade 1 Travers, his most recent of four U.S. starts.
The Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1 ½ miles on the Widener turf is expected to attract top-class grass runners Grade 1 Arlington Million winner Robert Bruce, Grade 1 Sword Dancer runner-up Channel Maker, as well as the always competitive Sadler's Joy, among others.
Imperial Hint is on target to headline the Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh at 6 ½ furlongs, while Grade 3 With Anticipation winner Opry will look to stand out among the crowd in the Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
The stakes action will continue the following day with the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, the Pilgrim's sister race for juvenile fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the grass, and the $200,000 Temperence Hill Invitational for 3-year-olds and up at 1 5/8 miles on the main track.
The Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup
"Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Classic Division
Probable: Carlino (Mark Hennig); Discreet Lover (Uriah St. Lewis); Diversify (Rick Violette, Jr.); Gronkowski (Brown); Mendelssohn (Aidan O'Brien); Patch (Pletcher); Thunder Snow (Saeed bin Suroor); Uno Mas Modelo (Anthony Quartarolo)
The Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
"Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Turf Division
Probable: Carrick (Tom Morley); Channel Maker (Bill Mott); Hi Happy (Todd Pletcher); Highland Sky (Barclay Tagg); Robert Bruce (Chad Brown); Sadler's Joy (Tom Albertrani); Spring Quality (Graham Motion); Teodoro (Thomas Dascombe)
Possible: Focus Group (Brown)
The Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh
"Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Sprint Division
Probable: Imperial Hint (Luis Carvajal, Jr.); Silver Ride (Brian Lynch); Still Krz (Ray Handal)
Possible: Forge (Dermot Magner); Mr. Crow (Ben Colebrook)
The Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim
Probable: Dashing Dan (Michael Dilger); Forty Under (Jeremiah Englehart); Opry (Pletcher); Pipes (Gary Contessa); Rhythm With Soul (John Kimmel); Somelikeithotbrown (Mike Maker); Spirit Animal (Brown)
Possible: Ship of the Line (Jack Sisterson)
Sunday, September 30:
The Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo
Probable: Decorated Ace (Brenda McCarthy); Kitty's Legacy (Bruce Levine); Miss Technicality (Christophe Clement); Newspaperofrecord (Brown); Stellar Agent (Jorge Abreu); Varenka (Motion)
The $200,000 Temperence Hill Invitational
Probable: Archanova (Ian Wilkes); Rocketry (Jimmy Jerkens); War Story (Jorge Navarro); You're to Blame (Pletcher)
Possible: Turco Bravo (Linda Rice)