Charming Kitten takes Belmont Gold Cup

Charming Kitten has given trainer Todd Pletcher a nice problem to have.

“Where do you go from a two-mile race?” Pletcher wondered, moments after Charming Kitten opened some additional doors for himself by defeating an eclectic group in the inaugural edition of the $200,000 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational, a marathon event on turf.

“I guess you try to stay stretched out and look at mile-and-a-half-type races,” Pletcher said. “Put all those in play.”

Charming Kitten, a homebred for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, had scored all four of his prior victories at 1 1/16 miles – including the 2013 Kitten’s Joy Stakes, a race named for his sire, the Ramseys’ homebred turf champion. On Friday, he ran without the blinkers he had worn for five consecutive starts.

“I think it was the logical thing to do stretching out to a two-mile race, to try to keep him as kind as possible,” Pletcher said.

John Velazquez settled Charming Kitten ($13) in the second flight early as longshot Comes the Dream took the field through very moderate opening fractions. With the first mile completed in 1:43.94, the field began to bunch up tightly during the second run down the backstretch, as Comes the Dream came under pressure from several rivals, including Twilight Eclipse, a multiple graded stakes winner at 1 1/2 miles.

Meanwhile, Velazquez began to edge Charming Kitten out for room, eventually coming four wide into the stretch.

Twilight Eclipse was set down entering the stretch, but Canadian classic winner and champion Irish Mission – who had displayed an affinity for the Belmont course with a third in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes less than two weeks ago – ranged up on his outside to challenge. She struck the lead near the furlong marker, but Charming Kitten had dead aim outside and gradually wore her down, edging clear in the final stages to win by a length. The final time was 3:21.52.

“[Velazquez] and I were on the same page,” Pletcher said. “I told him to break from the gate and gallop the two miles. Wanted to try to keep him relaxed in the post parade and leave there settled. He gave him a great ride. He had him covered up, and he relaxed really well.”

Irish Mission held off a rallying Reflecting, who snuck up the inside, in a photo for second. Twilight Eclipse faded to fourth, while Draw Two, sent away as the favorite over the former by a slim margin, was never a factor and checked in eighth.

The Belmont Gold Cup was the first leg of a two-day daily double that links to Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. The will-pay with dual classic winner and race favorite California Chrome, bidding to sweep the Triple Crown, is $38.