Good Samaritan will get blinkers for Jockey Club Gold Cup

ELMONT, N.Y. – Good Samaritan will be equipped with blinkers for the first time when he runs in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, trainer Bill Mott said.

Good Samaritan has worked a few times in blinkers, and Mott likes the impact they’ve had on the 3-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday. Good Samaritan had his final work for the Gold Cup on Monday, going five furlongs in 1:03.59 over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga, with a final quarter in 24.60 seconds, according to Saratoga clocker Dave Norton.

“We’ve worked him in blinkers the last couple of times, and it seems like it’s put him up in the bridle a little bit more,” Mott said. “He’s been kind of a big space cadet, drops a good ways out of it, makes his run. When he gets back that far by himself he gets a little lost, almost disinterested maybe.”

Good Samaritan will be taking on older horses for the first time in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. After making the first five starts of his career on turf, he made his dirt debut in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga, rallying from last to win by 4 3/4 lengths in a field that included Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and Preakness winner Cloud Computing.

In the Travers on Aug. 26, Good Samaritan was last of 12 for the opening half-mile before ultimately finishing fifth, nine lengths behind West Coast, who came back to win the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby. Good Samaritan was pointing to the Pennsylvania Derby before missing some training time due to a temperature.

Good Samaritan, who will be ridden by Joel Rosario, is one of seven horses expected to be entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup, which offers a fees-paid berth into the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

Others expected to enter are Destin (Luis Saez), Diversify (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Highland Sky (Rajiv Maragh), Keen Ice (Jose Ortiz), Pavel (Mario Gutierrez), and Rally Cry (John Velazquez).

On Sunday, Highland Sky worked five furlongs in 1:01.16 over the Belmont main track, a move his connections felt was good enough to have the 4-year-old make his dirt debut in the Gold Cup. Highland Sky, under Maragh, started just behind two workmates, took dirt until the quarter pole when he was tipped outside, and finished slightly in front of Tale of S’avall with both a few lengths ahead of Tale of Silence.

“Rajiv was very pleased,” said Robin Smullen, assistant to trainer Barclay Tagg. “He said he’s so much handier on the dirt than the turf. He said on the dirt he jumps right into the bridle and can be anywhere you want to be.”

Meanwhile, Pavel, the Smarty Jones winner, worked a half-mile in 48.77 on Sunday morning over Belmont’s main track under exercise rider Gabriel Planchard to complete his serious preparations for a start in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“He worked great this morning,” said Jack Sisterson, an assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill. “Doug was just looking for a maintenance half in 49, and we got him in 48 and 3. Gabriel said he felt great, switched leads on cue, and got over the surface well.”