Summer Bird Leads Jockey Club Gold Cup Lineup

by Patricia Woo | Sep 28 2009

One of the most anticipated races of the year is happening this Saturday, Oct. 3, at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY: the $750,000 Gr. 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Adding to the excitement is the presence of this year's Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner Summer Bird, who has emerged as one of this year's powerhouse 3-year-olds. Expected to join him are no pushovers either: Recent runner-up in the Woodward Stakes, Macho Again, and 2009 Florida Derby champion Quality Road will be among the frontrunners in this star-studded field.

Summer Bird has nearly done it all this year: He won a Triple Crown race in June (the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park). He nearly knocked off Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park in early August. And in late August, he claimed the biggest prize of his career so far - the $1M Travers Stakes at Saratoga. But the best seems yet to come for this late-blossoming 3-year-old, and with a run at the $5M Breeders' Cup Classic firmly in his sights, all that's left is one final prep race: the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Trainer Tim Ice has no qualms about his charge's ability, especially after a sizzling 5-furlong workout in 59.99 seconds over Belmont Park's main track on Sept. 19. “That's his best work that he's ever had by far,” Ice said afterward. “He likes this track; he loves Belmont.” But as Summer Bird has never been tested on a synthetic track before, Ice's optimism doesn't extend as far as the Breeders' Cup. “I wish the Breeders' Cup was at Belmont.” Still, with Summer Bird's obvious talent and the services of regular rider Kent Desormeaux, top prize in the Jockey Club Gold Cup should not be out of this champion racehorse's reach.

Also pointing to the Breeders' Cup Classic via the Jockey Club Gold Cup route is Macho Again, a 4-year-old colt trained by Dallas Stewart. Macho Again won his first grade 1 race this year in June in the $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Since then, he has played bridesmaid twice: in the $750,000 Gr. 1 Whitney Handicap behind surprise winner Bullsbay and behind superstar filly Rachel Alexandra in the $750,000 Woodward Stakes, both at Saratoga. Macho Again does have excellent closing speed and with regular rider Robby Albarado in the irons, he may just be able to snap his runner-up streak on Saturday.

Looking for a return to the winner's circle is Quality Road, whose foot injuries nearly derailed a sensational early 3-year-old campaign. His first race after returning from layoff - the $150,000 Gr. 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga –resulted in a win, but in his next big test over a longer distance, he managed only third place behind Summer Bird in the Travers Stakes, despite his speed. Still, trainer Todd Pletcher saw plenty of positives in Quality Road's Travers Stakes performance and will be looking for more improvements in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Others possible for Saturday's race include Dry Martini, Sette E Mezzo and Tizway. Asiatic Boy may instead be pointed to the Hawthorne Gold Cup - to be run on the same day - and Bullsbay, who injured his foot during a workout earlier this week, will miss the race.

With a purse of $750,000 on the line, horse racing doesn't get much more exciting than the Jockey Club Gold Cup. So bet on Belmont Park horse racing at the Bodog Racebook!