Saratoga: McPeek takes a shot with Gould's Gold in Jim Dandy

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Until now, Gould’s Gold has been known primarily as the compliant workmate for Thorpedo Anna, the runaway leader of the 3-year-old filly division. The son of Goldencents can change that narrative if he pulls an upset in the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy on Saturday at Saratoga.

While racing fans eagerly await Ken McPeek’s decision on whether to test Thorpedo Anna against the boys in the Aug. 24 Travers (G1), his willingness to try Gould’s Gold in the Jim Dandy shows his penchant for measuring risk against reward and taking a shot.

The trainer readily acknowledges that his Ohio Derby (G3) runner-up faces long odds in Saratoga’s 1 1/8-mile Travers prep. But he revealed his gambler’s heart when he said, “We want to see how good he is.”

Like Mystik Dan, McPeek’s Kentucky Derby winner, Gould’s Gold is a son of Goldencents. They also share much of the same ownership group. But Gould’s Gold will never be mistaken for Mystik Dan, a solid second in the Preakness after his Derby score.

Gould’s Gold did not show much at 2. He finished fourth when he debuted Sept. 22, going seven furlongs on dirt at Churchill Downs. He attempted a mile on turf Oct. 12 at Keeneland and that went a bit worse. He wound up sixth in his only other start as a juvenile.

He is a significantly better horse at 3. “As we’ve run longer, he’s done better,” McPeek said. “We kind of anticipated that. We thought he’d be better at longer distances.”

That has definitely been the case. After breaking his maiden at six furlongs March 30 at Oaklawn, the 3-year-old took third there in the 1 1/8-mile Bathhouse Row, second in the 1 1/16-mile Sir Barton at muddy Pimlico and second in the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby (G3) on June 22 at Thistledown.

McPeek thought Gould’s Gold deserved better when he missed by a neck to Imperial Gun in the Sir Barton. “He probably should have won the Sir Barton, but he ducked at a tire track,” he said.

The trainer thought the Ohio Derby could have gone differently, even though he had go-to rider Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard. “It was kind of a tricky trip,” he noted. “He kind of got boxed in a little bit at the turn and didn’t have a clear run.”

But McPeek also said in looking ahead to a Jim Dandy, “He’s going to have to improve off of that. We’re giving him a chance.”

Preakness winner Seize the Grey, Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierra Leone and 2-year-old champ Fierceness lead a short but stacked six-horse field for the Jim Dandy.

McPeek is having the kind of year where he seemingly can do little wrong in major races. Thorpedo Anna and Mystik Dan gave him a historic Kentucky Oaks-Derby sweep. Thorpedo Anna has rattled off three successive Grade 1s with resounding victories in the Oaks, Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks.

If there is any downside to the year for McPeek, it is possible that Mystik Dan won’t be able to finish what he started. He is being freshened at the farm after his disappointing eighth-place result in the Belmont Stakes.

“We’ve had the best people look at him. There is nothing major wrong with him at all,” McPeek said. “We just felt he had run hard, trained hard. He hadn’t missed any training in almost 10 months.”

The Belmont was held at Saratoga to allow for the uninterrupted construction of a new Belmont Park. “I’m not so sure he liked the track in the Belmont. Brian came back and said he just didn’t seem to handle it good,” McPeek said. “I didn’t really want to put any pressure on myself to make the Travers.”

The Lexington native is content to play the waiting game with Mystik Dan. He is in no rush whatsoever.

“I’d rather give him a good rest and ease him back into things and let him take us where he wants to take us. He’s going to be a great older horse.”