Gold Cup a possibility for Si Sage

ARCADIA, Calif. – Si Sage, the upset winner of the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes on turf last Sunday, might start in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 25.

Trainer Jim Cassidy said on Friday that the Grade 1 Gold Cup is an early-summer option he will discuss with the partnership that own Si Sage, which includes Jed Cohen’s Red Baron’s Barn. Cassidy termed thoughts of sending Si Sage to the Gold Cup as “very tentative.”

Si Sage has won 5 of 26 starts and earned $381,795. He won the Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at 42-1 here in April 2015. Si Sage was an 11-1 shot when he won the $201,725 Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

The Gold Cup is run at 1 1/4 miles on dirt. Si Sage has started twice on dirt or synthetic tracks. He won an allowance race on the synthetic track at Chantilly in France in March 2013 and was fourth in the Grade 3 American Stakes here on a wet-fast track May 6.

Cassidy said the purse of the Gold Cup and the race’s distance appeal to him. He said Si Sage is also a candidate for the $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 17 or the Arlington Million at 1 1/4 miles on turf Aug. 13.

The Gold Cup is part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program, offering a fees-paid berth for the winner to the BC Classic here on Nov. 5, provided the horse is nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program.

The Gold Cup candidates include Melatonin, who won the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap in March, and Second Summer and Hard Aces, who were first and second in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes on May 22.

There is a chance that the field could include Donworth, who was third as the 2-1 favorite in the Charles Town Classic in April. On Friday, Donworth worked six furlongs from the gate in 1:11.40 at Santa Anita under jockey Mario Gutierrez.

Donworth also is being considered for the $1.25 million Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont Park on June 11. Owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam and trained by Doug O’Neill, Donworth has won 2 of 7 starts and earned $281,345.

Gutierrez has two other mounts for O’Neill at Belmont Park on June 11 – Mrazek in the $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs and Guns Loaded in the $300,000 Jaipur Stakes at six furlongs on turf.