2019 Jockey Club Gold Cup Contenders & Odds

Grade 1 Runhappy Travers winner Code of Honor will look for a second Grade 1 score when he takes on older horses in Saturday's 101st running of the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

America's Day at the Races will present live national television coverage of Jockey Club Gold Cup Day at Belmont Park from 2:30-6:30 p.m. on FS2 with regional coverage airing on MSG Networks from 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Saturday's lucrative card features four graded stakes including two Breeders' Cup Win and You're In events with the Jockey Club Gold Cup offering a berth in the Grade 1, $6 million Classic and the Grade 1, $300,000 Vosburgh providing a berth in the Grade 1, $2 million Sprint, both on Saturday, November 2 at Santa Anita Park. Saturday's card is also highlighted by the Grade 2, $300,000 Beldame and the Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim.

Owned and bred by W.S. Farish, who campaigned eventual Horse of the Year Mineshaft to a victory in the 2003 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Code of Honor will attempt to give Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey a fourth victory in the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup after previously winning with Vanlandingham (1985), Easy Goer (1989) and Miner's Mark (1993).

The chestnut son of Noble Mission was a three-length winner of the "Mid-Summer Derby" on August 24 at Saratoga, where he registered a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure. Since the impressive effort, he has worked three times over the Belmont Park main track, the most recent of which was a half-mile move in 50.63 seconds.

Code of Honor arrives at the Jockey Club Gold Cup after one month's rest. He won the Travers off of a seven-week layoff from his Grade 3 Dwyer score at Belmont, which came nine weeks after his runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

"I think it's a good spot for him. It's a small field so hopefully the speed will show a little bit," McGaughey said. "We'll just let him run his race. He came out of the Travers fine and he's coming back a month off of that effort but he seems to be doing really well. I think he'll run his race, and we'll see if he's good enough. There are some nice horses in the field but if he goes over there and runs his race I think they'll know he's in there."

A victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup would put Code of Honor on even terms with Maximum Security, who captured the Florida Derby and Haskell Invitational, in terms of Grade 1 victories this year.

Code of Honor has amassed $1,885,820 in lifetime earnings having won four of eight career starts. He will leave from post 2 and will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who piloted Tonalist (2015) and Hoppertunity (2016) to Jockey Club Gold Cup victories.

Still questing for a Grade 1 victory, Travers runner-up Tacitus placed in two of the three legs of the Triple Crown and seeks a breakthrough win when emerging from post 1.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who saddled Cigar (1995), Flat Out (2012) and Ron the Greek (2013) to victories in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Tacitus was placed third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby following victories in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and Grade 2 Wood Memorial. Tacitus has finished second in his three starts following the Derby in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, Grade 2 Jim Dandy and most recently the Travers.

Tacitus will look to give owner Juddmonte Farm their first Jockey Club Gold Cup win since Aptitude took the 2001 edition. Jockey Jose Oritz, who seeks his first win in the race, will have the return call.

Centennial Farms' Preservationist, one of two Grade 1-winning older horses in the field, comes off of a win in the Grade 1 Woodward on August 31 at Saratoga. Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, the lightly-raced 6-year-old Arch bay made his stakes debut a winning one in July when besting dual Grade 1-winner Catholic Boy in the Grade 2 Suburban, which is run over the Gold Cup's classic distance.

Following his career debut in June 2016 where he finished second, the 6-year-old son of Arch was placed on the shelf and did not race again until the following December. He broke his maiden in January 2018 at Aqueduct and defeated winners in a first-level allowance at the Big A one month later before going on the shelf for 11 months.

Regular pilot Junior Alvarado will be aboard Preservationist from post 4.

St. Elias Stable and Repole Stable's Vino Rosso captured the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita in May going ten furlongs, which garnered a career-best 105 Beyer. A victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup would make Vino Rosso and his two-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winning sire Curlin, the first dual generation winners of the race since Shuvee (1970-71) and Nashua (1955-56).

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will seek his second Jockey Club Gold Cup victory when he guides Vino Rosso from post 3.

Rounding out the field is Ron Paolucci Racing and Jeffrey Lambert's three-time winner Olympic Village, who recently won for a $75,000 tag over the main track at Saratoga in August; his first start since defeating winners at Laurel Park in November.

The Anthony Quartarolo-trained son of Congrats is cross-entered in the Grade 3 Ack Ack on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Should he opt for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Olympic Village will be ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Since its inception in 1919, the prestigious 1 ¼-mile event for 3-year-olds and upward has consistently been a premier race in the North American classic division. All-time greats Man o' War, Gallant Fox, Whirlaway, Citation, Nashua, Forego, Kelso, Affirmed and John Henry have added the Jockey Club Gold Cup to their ledger. More recent thoroughbred titans to win the event include Cigar, Skip Away, Bernardini and Curlin.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m.

Preservationist Looking for Breakthrough Victory

In a short period of time, Preservationist has made enough noise to establish himself as a major force in the handicap division, but a victory in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup could put him atop the older horse division.

Owned by Centennial Farms and trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Preservationist made his stakes debut at the age of 6 just three starts back when besting Grade 1-winners Catholic Boy and Pavel in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 6 over Big Sandy. He earned a 108 Beyer Speed Figure in the process, but his effort in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga did not go as planned, when he went to the lead and faltered to fourth, beaten 7 ¾ lengths.

Last out at Saratoga, the lightly raced Arch bay redeemed himself with a victory in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, where he stalked a moderate pace, was patiently ridden by Junior Alvarado and split horses at the top of the stretch to win by a half-length.

Centennial Farms' President and co-owner Don Little, Jr. believes that the large and vocal crowd at the Spa contributed to his lackluster fourth in the Whitney, which is his only off-the-board effort in a dozen lifetime starts.

"Believe it or not, it was all new to him," Little, Jr. said. "The crowd was big and making noise and he got a little bit wound up, but he's been a different horse since then. He manhandled his way through horses in the Woodward and he's been great since that big race."

The five-horse field assembled for the Gold Cup wasn't quite what Little, Jr. was hoping for, but nevertheless he believes Preservationist, who will again be piloted by Alvarado, will still run his good race.

"I don't really like small fields in big races like this. Sometimes it comes down to it being a jockey's race and your strategy can fall apart," Little said. "It will be interesting to see. Junior has ridden him numerous times and I'm sure he'll familiarize himself with the other horses in the race and do the best he can."

Little, Jr. and the Centennial Farms team could be visiting the winner's circle earlier in the card when they debut highly regarded 2-year-old Ethos, who also is trained by Jerkens.

Bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables, the son of Ghostzapper was a $550,000 purchase from the Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He is out of the Mr. Greeley broodmare Happy Now, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning millionaires Ironicus and On Leave.

"I'm really excited about him. We've got a lot of nice 2-year-olds this year, as we usually do," Little, Jr. said. "It's a nice looking field of young horses and they're all first time starters with the exception of one. You've got a really well bred into Mischief for Juddmonte [Toledo]. It really looks like a Travers day maiden race."

Little, Jr. said Ethos stood out in a crowd at the sale.

"He's a nice horse. He stood out at the sale," Little, Jr. said. "His walk was exceptional, just beautiful and athletic. He looks very athletic in his breezes. Good horses don't look like they're going fast when they are."

Ethos will be ridden by jockey Joel Rosario.

Bill Mott to enter Tacitus and Yoshida in G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

September 24 - Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott will be well represented in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup which offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on November 2 at Santa Anita Park with a pair of multiple graded stakes winners in 5-year-old Yoshida and 3-year-old Tacitus.

A Japanese-bred son of Heart's Cry, Yoshida is winless in five starts this year but has shown good form of late finishing third in the Grade 1 Woodward and second in the Grade 1 Whiney at Saratoga Race Course.

Juddmonte Farms' homebred Tacitus remains in search of his first career Grade 1 victory after capturing the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs and Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack. He subsequently finished third in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and second in the Belmont Stakes. Following a summer campaign at Saratoga which included a pair of second-place finishes in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and Grade 2 Runhappy Travers, he will face older horses for the first time.

Willaford said both contenders are doing well and expected to arrive at Belmont from Saratoga later this week.

"Bill seems to be happy with each of them," said Willaford. "He was here yesterday and said he liked where he was at with each of them in their training coming up for next Saturday. Hopefully, they'll both run good races to each of their abilities. They're each talented horses and the meet's been a little slow so far, a lot of seconds, but we'll get through it. It goes up and down and we're hoping next weekend will trend upward."

2018 Wood Memorial-winner Vino Rosso training well ahead of G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

September 24 - Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's Vino Rosso remains on target for the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 28 at Belmont Park, according to his connections.

The Todd Pletcher trainee is coming off consecutive triple digit Beyer Speed Figures, including a 100 for his third-place effort in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1 Whitney last out on August 3 at Saratoga Race Course. That built on his three-quarter length win in the Grade 1 Gold Cup on May 27 at Santa Anita Park, earning a 105 Beyer in winning at the Jockey Club Gold Cup distance of 1 ¼ miles.

One of four graded stakes on Saturday's stacked card, the Jockey Club Gold Cup is a "Win and You're In" qualifier to the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita Park.

"We're still on schedule for the Jockey Club Gold Cup," said Pletcher assistant Byron Hughes. "He's been running well this summer. He's a very talented horse and has stepped up from his 3-year-old campaign. We're excited about Saturday and think he's training well enough to win it."

As a 3-year-old, Vino Rosso won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack before running ninth in the 2018 Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Belmont Stakes won by Justify to clinch the Triple Crown. After ending his year with a fifth-place effort in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers, Vino Rosso was given more than six months off, where he started his 4-year-old year with a win in the Stymie in March at the Big A before running fourth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in April at Aqueduct.

A son of Curlin, Vino Rosso is 5-0-3 in 13 career starts with earnings of $1,353,125.

Preservationist has eyes on G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

September 23 - Coming fresh off a victory in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, Preservationist is targeting next Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Preservationist made his stakes debut a winning one when besting dual Grade 1-winner Catholic Boy in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 6 at Big Sandy before finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga.

Since the Woodward, Preservationist has worked twice over the Belmont Park main track, the most recent being a seven-furlong breeze in 1:28.20 on September 17.

"He seems really good. I can't knock him. He's got his energy, he's eating well and he's staying sound," Jerkens said.

Following his career debut in June 2016 where he finished second, the 6-year-old son of Arch was placed on the shelf and did not race again until the following December. He broke his maiden in January 2018 at Aqueduct and defeated winners in a first-level allowance at the Big A one month later before going on the shelf for 11 months.

Jerkens said he's taking it one race at a time with the talented Preservationist.

"From here, we're taking it one race at a time and not getting ahead of ourselves," said Jerkens. "Just get him back to what he's been doing and hope we can keep him going."

The veteran conditioner has posted a pair of runner-up efforts in the Jockey Club Gold Cup with Wicked Strong and Effinex in 2015-16.

Code of Honor prepping for G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

September 15 - W.S. Farish homebred Code of Honor, a three-length winner of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers last month, enjoyed a four-furlong breeze on Big Sandy Sunday morning in preparation for the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup set for September 28 at Belmont Park.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said the Noble Mission chestnut, who was clocked in 50.55 seconds, breezed well in hand.

"He worked very well," said McGaughey. "I caught him from the three-eighths pole to the mile and three-eighths pole in 1:01 and they [the clockers] caught him in 50 and change from the half-mile pole. He just went by himself and galloped along."

A winner at first asking at Saratoga last August, Code of Honor has since added wins in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park and the Grade 3 Dwyer at Belmont ahead of his Runhappy Travers coup.

McGaughey said Code of Honor, who was elevated to second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, has thrived since his sensational effort at the Spa.

"He's done everything right since the Travers and put his weight back on real quick," said McGaughey.

Code of Honor will take on older horses for the first time in the 1 ¼-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, a Breeders' Cup "Win & You're In" event offering a berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita Park.

McGaughey said the opportunity to race at home made the Jockey Club Gold Cup an attractive option.

"He likes this track and the mile and a quarter...and all I have to do is walk him down the street," said McGaughey. "The Breeders' Cup is still in consideration. We just have to get through this one and we'll see where we go from there."

McGaughey previously captured the Jockey Club Gold Cup with Vanlandingham [1985], Easy Goer [1989] and Miner's Mark [1993].

Vino Rosso remains on target for G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup

September 8 - Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Vino Rosso breezed four furlongs in 49.40 seconds on Friday on the Belmont Park main track in preparation for the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Saturday, September 28.

It was the first workout at Belmont for the 4-year-old Curlin colt since returning from Saratoga where he was an early morning scratch in the Grade 1 Woodward on August 24.

"He worked Friday morning with Off Topic and I thought it was a good work," said Hughes. He did it in 49 [seconds] and change and galloped out strong."