Saratoga: Siskany looks to defend in Belmont Gold Cup

Godolphin’s U.K.-bred Siskany returns to New York, albeit at a different racetrack, to defend his title in Thursday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup, a two-mile Mellon turf test for older horses, at Saratoga on Opening Day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

The Belmont Gold Cup, slated as race 10, offers a Golden Ticket for an automatic berth into the Group 1, US$5.6 million Melbourne Cup on Nov. 5 at Flemington in Victoria, Australia. 

The Charlie Appleby-trained Siskany was a dominant winner of this event last year at Belmont Park, stalking from fifth position under returning rider William Buick before taking command at the stretch call and drawing clear to a two-length win.

The 6-year-old Dubawi gelding wintered in Dubai where he captured a pair of 1 3/4-mile events with Buick aboard over good going at Meydan, taking the Al Khail Trophy in January ahead of a successful title defense in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy in February. He was last seen finishing fourth in the two-mile Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup over good ground on March 30 at Meydan, landing 3 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Tower of London.

Last year, Siskany finished second in the Dubai Gold Cup and fifth in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup that May at York before his Belmont Gold Cup coup. This year, he arrives as a fresh horse and will race from a more than two-month layoff and with cheek pieces off.

“Siskany was last seen in Dubai in the Gold Cup running his usual solid race,” said Appleby, who won the 2018 Melbourne Cup with Cross Counter. “He’s a past winner of the Belmont Gold Cup last year, so he’s coming back for a renewal of that. He’s in good form and hopefully he can get it done again.”

The Grey Wizard chased home Siskany in this event last year when rallying strongly from seventh position for second under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, who is back aboard Thursday from post 11 and assigned 118 pounds.

Trainer by Graham Motion for Aron Wellman’s Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Albert Frassetto, The Grey Wizard’s last win came in a 12-furlong turf event in April at Keeneland ahead of his Belmont Gold Cup effort.

The 5-year-old Caravaggio grey made his seasonal debut with an off-the-board effort in the 12-furlong Grade 2 Elkhorn while racing from a nearly nine-month layoff. The Grey Wizard followed with a more promising effort last out when a closing third under James Graham in the 12-furlong Grade 3 Louisville on May 18 at Churchill Downs.

Motion said he’s looking forward to The Grey Wizard again having the opportunity to stretch his legs at a marathon distance.

"He ran super in this race last year," Motion said. "It's what we thought he always wanted to do, so it wasn't a big surprise, but it's always rewarding when they run the way you thought they might. The further the better for him."

Motion noted his horse will need to step up to get the better of his familiar foe Siskany.

"He has to keep improving," Motion said. "His first race back this year was disappointing, and I was scratching my head. I said to Aron, ‘he needs to race to get back into racing shape.’ So, I was really pleased the way he ran the other night when James rode him at Churchill. I think he needed racing to get to this race and off of that effort, I was encouraged to run him back."

Motion said the addition of Golden Ticket to the Melbourne Cup is an intriguing one, having previously considered sending his multiple Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Better Talk Now to the famous race.

"It's something I would love to think about. I thought about it once before with Better Talk Now," Motion said. "I'm all about trying these things and it would be an exciting thing to think about."

Trainer Mike Maker, whose horses excel in long-distance events, will be represented by a trio of contenders in graded stakes-winner Starting Over, multiple graded stakes-placed Lucky Curlin, and graded stakes-placed Really Good.

Nice Guys Stables’ Starting Over arrives from a narrow neck victory over multiple graded stakes-winner Tawny Port in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Mac Diarmida on March 2 at Gulfstream Park.

The 7-year-old Liam’s Map grey, who won the 12-furlong Colonial Cup in September at Colonial Downs, has banked $531,145 through a 24: 5-4-4 record.

Michael Hui’s Lucky Curlin, a veteran of 39 starts for a record of 7-3-6 and purse earnings of $352,108, was haltered for $50,000 three starts back in February at Gulfstream Park. The 7-year-old Curlin gelding has tested Grade 2 company traveling 12 furlongs in each of his two outings for new connections, landing fifth in the Pan American in March at Gulfstream and sixth in the Elkhorn on April 20 at Keeneland.

Really Good enters from an optional-claiming win traveling 1 3/16-miles on May 2 at Belmont at the Big A where he got up in the final jumps to win by a neck and garner a career-best 91 Beyer.

Owned by Paradise Farms, David Staudacher and Jason Ash, the 4-year-old Hard Spun colt has banked $378,546 through a 14: 3-2-4 ledger.

A robust field includes multiple graded stakes-placed Pioneering Spirit for trainer Linda Rice; multiple graded stakes-placed Limited Liability for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey; graded stakes-placed So High for trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul; stakes-placed Cibolian for conditioner Archibald Kingsley, Jr.; stakes-placed Six Minus for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher; as well as two-time winners Sports Editor for trainer Ned Allard and the Christophe Clement-trained Champagne Juan. Costa Terra and Dai Vernon are entered for the main-track only.