Majestic Harbor gets dream trip in Gold Cup win

ARCADIA, Calif. – The big kid in Majestic Harbor raced like a grownup Saturday at Santa Anita.

In his first start in a Grade 1 race, the 6-year-old Majestic Harbor benefited from a dream trip to score an upset win in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Majestic Harbor was well placed behind an early speed duel between 7-2 Fury Kapcori and 4-5 favorite Game On Dude and took the lead in early stretch. Majestic Harbor ($30.80) pulled clear to win by 6 1/4 lengths over 5-1 Clubhouse Ride.

“You just hope when you lead them over there they fire, and he fired,” said winning trainer Sean McCarthy.

McCarthy said that in training, Majestic Harbor “is like a big kid. He wants to play around.”

On the track Saturday, Majestic Harbor performed like an old pro.

Majestic Harbor gave owner Ron Beegle and McCarthy the biggest wins of their careers. They won their first graded stakes earlier this year when Majestic Harbor won the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup here in March.

The speed duel proved to be the difference in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita.

Fury Kapcori set a quick early pace of 22.38 seconds and 45.39, leading by as many as 3 1/2 lengths. Game On Dude, who won the Hollywood Gold Cup in 2012 and 2013 at Hollywood Park and his third Santa Anita Handicap earlier this year, was pressured by Fury Kapcori early and was a clear second through the first half-mile.

Baze had Majestic Harbor in third on the backstretch, trailing Fury Kapcori by 6 1/2 lengths.

“They were flying, and we took advantage of it,” McCarthy said.

On the turn, Fury Kapcori faded from contention, and Game On Dude was quickly passed by Clubhouse Ride on his inside and Majestic Harbor, who rallied wide. In early stretch, Majestic Harbor took the lead and was not threatened late.

Majestic Harbor ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.53.

Imperative finished third, followed by Game On Dude, Lideris, Fury Kapcori, and Salto Del Indio.

The victory gave Majestic Harbor a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic here Nov. 1 through the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program. The BC Classic is run over 1 1/4 miles.

Game On Dude finished 12 1/2 lengths behind Majestic Harbor, his largest losing margin since a seventh-place finish by 15 lengths in the 2012 BC Classic here.

Trainer Bob Baffert said he was concerned about Game On Dude’s chances when the 7-year-old gelding eagerly chased Fury Kapcori through the opening quarter-mile.

“The first quarter-mile is what did it,” he said.

McCarthy said the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 24 is a possible late-summer start for Majestic Harbor. Baffert said that Game On Dude is likely for that race.

McCarthy said the timing of the Pacific Classic works in favor of Majestic Harbor, considering the BC Classic is a late-season goal.

“We have a cushion right now, and we’ll see how he comes out of it,” he said. “The Pacific Classic is a possibility.”

McCarthy was quick to praise Baze, who has worked Majestic Harbor on several occasions since he became the 6-year-old horse’s regular rider at the beginning of the year.

“Tyler has done a fantastic job,” he said. “The best thing we did is let Tyler work him.”

McCarthy said in the days before the Gold Cup at Santa Anita that he hoped Majestic Harbor could prove that he belongs in a race such as the BC Classic. The point was made Saturday.