Flat Out and Stay Thirsty lock horns in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park
For US racing aficionados there’s a cracking card at Belmont Park on Saturday – dubbed ‘Super Saturday’ with $2.65million in prize-money up for grabs across the six graded races – and one of the key races is the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at 10.46 UK time.
This prestigious Grade 1 event is invariably used a stepping stone towards the Breeders’ Cup Classic a month hence, and the favourite for that race, Stay Thirsty, puts his reputation on the line here following victories in the Jim Dandy and the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in his last two outings.
Todd Pletcher’s charge ran a blinder in defeat in the Belmont Stakes over 1½m here in June, despite arguably being stretched by that trip. This is definitely his trip and he will not go down without a fight, but I prefer the older horse FLAT OUT who possesses a good turn of foot.
While Stay Thirsty is tactically versatile, and one suspects that his jockey Javier Castellano will attempt to pounce as they turn for home, the strong pace which is likely to ensue here will play to the strengths of Flat Out, impressive winner of the Suburban Handicap over 9f at this track early in July.
The Charles Dickey-trained entire has subsequently run into class acts in Grade 1 events at Saratoga, chasing home Tizway on his penultimate start before finding only Larry Jones’ outstanding filly Havre de Grace too strong in the Woodward Stakes. Flat out is going up a furlong in trip, but I reckon he’ll stay alright, and is taken to prevail in a race that should culminate in a duel between him and Stay Thirsty.