Tawny Port wins Belmont Gold Cup, earns Melbourne Cup ticket

Tawny Port passed the test of stamina to earn a lucrative, record-setting victory in Thursday's Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup, a two-mile marathon for older horses over Saratoga's inner turf on the second day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

Through a partnership with the Victoria Racing Club, the win earned Tawny Port a "Golden Ticket" automatic berth into the two-mile Group 1 Melbourne Cup, "the race that stops a nation" worth more than $7.2 million (AUD$10 million) in total prize money. One of the globe's most prestigious Thoroughbred affairs, the Melbourne Cup will run Tuesday, Nov. 3. Parchment Party, last year's Belmont Gold Cup winner as a main track-only entrant in an off-the-turf edition, took advantage of the berth and traveled Down Under in November, finishing 20th.

Owned by Peachtree Stable and trained by Miguel Clement, the 7-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile earned his first win since the 2023 John's Call at Saratoga but has been a consistent performer, placing in nine stakes races since then, including a nose defeat to Silawi in the Canadian International (G1) in October at Woodbine. He entered from a fourth in his seasonal bow in the Elkhorn (G2) on April 18 at Keeneland.

Tawny Port, a dual graded stakes winner on dirt as a sophomore, finished seventh in the 2022 Kentucky Derby and added a graded win over the grass to his resume with the help of a smart ride from dual Eclipse Award winner Flavien Prat, who won his fourth race on the card.

"Last year, he had some very close calls and ran some great races," Clement said. "He deserves to win a great race like this because he's very honest; very game and consistent. If we go to Australia, I think he'd be the only Kentucky Derby runner to have gone to the Melbourne Cup, so that would be fun, too. (Prat) is riding top class at the moment, and you just go with the flow – and the horse is doing great – so they make a great team."

Tawny Port broke forwardly but was unhurried as a trio of contenders went head-to-head into the first of four turns before 80-1 long shot Worthington asserted himself and led through the first three-quarters in 1:12.78 over the firm footing.

Post-time favorite Corruption stuck his head in front passing the wire for the second time with Fleetfoot right on his flank in the three-path, and Worthington began to tire as the first mile elapsed in 1:38.20. Tawny Port remained in sixth tucked into the rail through the third turn and waited for his cue as Corruption took a clear lead heading into the backstretch for the final time. Prat angled his charge out and around the tiring Worthington and let him out a notch after 10 furlongs in 2:03.84 as Navy Seal ranged up outside of the toiling Corruption.

"I got myself to the fence," Prat explained. "We got to the backside for the first time, I felt like we were going a decent clip for two miles. I thought, 'I'm going to take my time,' and keep him where he was. Just had to pass that horse that was on the lead for the first time that was slowing down just to avoid that horse, then I went right back to the rail. After that, I felt like I was traveling well, and he gave me a good run."

Tawny Port tracked behind Navy Seal as the field exited the turn and was full of run as he waited for room behind rivals, which came when Corruption faded and left a seam inside Navy Seal approaching the eighth pole. Tawny Port remained clear in the lane and had enough in reserve to keep a game Navy Seal at bay and score by 2 1/2 lengths in a track-record time of 3:17.75, besting the previous record of 3:18.35 set by The Grey Wizard in the 2024 Belmont Gold Cup.

Navy Seal held onto place honors by 6 1/2 lengths over Miztertonic with Flashiest, Corruption, Fleetfoot, Concord Green and Worthington completing the order of finish. Parchment Party, again entered for the main track-only, was scratched.

Clement praised Tawny Port's tenacity, citing his late-summer and fall campaign last year that saw him finish second in two stakes events seven days apart at Kentucky Downs ahead of his Canadian International effort.

"He's been training great since Keeneland and has taken his game to another level. He loves it here at Saratoga," Clement said. "If you look at what he did in the fall in a span of five weeks, running twice second at Kentucky Downs and just missing a nose in a Grade 1 at Woodbine. He really takes his level of training to another level here at Saratoga. I was amazingly confident in him today. It's rewarding because he deserves to win a big race, and it's been a while. It's very rewarding for the entire team."

Clement noted his late father Christophe Clement's ambitions to compete in the Melbourne Cup and said bringing Tawny Port there would be fitting.

"Dad missed the Belmont Gold Cup by a head a few years ago with Champagne Juan and he always thought it would be fun to go for (the Melbourne Cup) with him, so yes, we are considering it," Clement said. "I know, timing-wise, it's not great with Breeders' Cup right around the corner, but you only live once and I think we should really entertain the idea of going."

An even more fitting goal looms in the 1 1/2-mile, $750,000 Christophe Clement Turf (G1) on Aug. 15 at Saratoga, a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Turf in October at Keeneland.

"The Christophe Clement is next for him for many reasons," Clement said.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Tawny Port sold for $430,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the dual graded-placed Macho Uno mare Livi Makenzie. Tawny Port banked $137,500 in victory, boosting his total purse earnings to $2,324,593 through a 32: 6-6-5 record. He returned $6.90 on a $2 win ticket.

José Ortiz, aboard Navy Seal for trainer Wesley Ward, said the son of Dubawi was willing but even in the late stages.

"He was a little keen early on, but we had a good trip," Ortiz said. "He did settle nicely and when we hit the six furlongs the second time I put him outside and let him do his run from there, little by little, but Tawny Port had a little bit more. My horse just galloped, galloped, galloped, but the winner had a little more kick."