SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The jumbled older male dirt division welcomed another member to the club Saturday at Saratoga when Bright Future held off Proxy by a nose to win the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup. A well-bred son of Curlin who had several starts and stops in his career, Bright Future validated his dominating allowance win from earlier in the meet and earned a fees-paid berth into the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. Bright Future showed glimpses of talent early in his career in races run at a one-turn mile. When he tried the Grade 2 Brooklyn at 1 1/2 miles in June, he finished a well-beaten eighth. Bright Future bounced back to win a nine-furlong allowance race here on July 21 which made his connections try this spot. :: DRF's 2023 Saratoga headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more. Trainer Todd Pletcher said owners Mike Repole and Vinnie and Teresa Viola were rewarded for giving Bright Future time to develop after having some issues that forced him to have a few starts and stops as a 3-year-old. “We probably got a little ambitious when we tried the Brooklyn, maybe he didn’t have quite the foundation to go a mile and a half at that stage,” Pletcher said. “We regrouped with the allowance race here, I thought it was a powerful performance and from that time on we’ve been pointing for this.” As he did in his allowance win, Bright Future, ridden by Javier Castellano, raced in second position, this time sitting a length behind Warrior Johny through a half-mile in 48.86 seconds and six furlongs in a posted 1:14.10. Bright Future drew on even terms with Warrior Johny at the three-furlong pole and forged to the front turning for home. Castellano first guided Bright Future into the two path in the stretch, but with Proxy, under Joel Rosario, trying to rally to the outside, Castellano brought Bright Future out to meet Proxy and held him off without touching him. Bright Future covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.00 (103 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $9.50 as the second choice behind 8-5 favorite Rattle N Roll. “I thought turning for home he’d give me a better kick, but he was steady and I liked the way he finished today,” said Castellano, who added the Jockey Club to Grade 1 victories this year in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Travers, Beverly D, and United Nations. Bright Future seems to be getting better as he’s getting older. In 2019, these same connections had another son of Curlin, Vino Rosso, who finished first in the Jockey Club Gold Cup – when it was held at Belmont Park – only to be disqualified for interference. Vino Rosso came back to win the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. Bright Future will likely make his next start in the Classic, thought Pletcher knows his horse will likely have to improve to contend against a solid group of 3-year-olds including his own Forte. “It was a good spot to try a Grade 1 and he delivered a big performance,” Pletcher said. “In order to go to the next one he’s going to need to make another move forward.” Proxy, coming off a front-running victory in the Monmouth Cup on July 22, appeared to be sitting a good third along the inside under Rosario. He seemed to be running evenly from the quarter pole to midstretch before gaining on what was a drifting Bright Future, but he couldn’t get there. “He was more in the race like he was last time, when he’s like that he runs better,” Rosario said. “I thought for a second, we’d get it done; he run a big race.” Tyson, making his first start on dirt after going 4 for 5 on synthetic, finished third by a nose over an extremely wide-rallying Clapton. Duke of Love, Rattle N Roll, Warrior Johny, and Unbridled Bomber completed the order of finish. Rattle N Roll was sent off the favorite coming off a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster. In the Gold Cup, he raced between horses for most of the trip under Brian Hernandez Jr., but never really offered any type of punch. “He was boxed in the whole way, he said he couldn’t get him out to make his run,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.