Pletcher, with Happy Saver, finally finds Jockey Club Gold Cup triumph

ELMONT, N.Y. - There was only one negative trainer Todd Pletcher found in finally winning his first Jockey Club Gold Cup on Saturday at Belmont Park.

“I’ve been trying for 25 years to win this race and the purse is $250,000,” Pletcher said, laughing, after Happy Saver squeezed through an opening along the inside and outfinished Mystic Guide to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup by three-quarters of a length. "But it’s more about the win than it is the purse.”

Beginning in 2002 with Harlan’s Holiday (third) through Vino Rosso’s disqualification from first last year, Pletcher had run 23 horses in the Jockey Club Gold with seven second-places and three thirds. The Gold Cup typically carries a purse of $750,000 or $1 million.

That Happy Saver gave Pletcher his first victory in this race is pretty remarkable considering the 3-year-old only made it to the races on June 20, the same day Tiz the Law won the Belmont Stakes.

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Happy Saver won that day, and an allowance race at Saratoga in July, before taking the Federico Tesio, a listed stakes last month at Laurel. Though the Jockey Gold Cup did not come up with a large field, it did have the well-seasoned 4-year-old Tacitus, who appeared to have a huge class edge on this field.

After making a clear lead through a half-mile in 49.68 seconds and six furlongs in 1:13.61 under Jose Ortiz, Tacitus appeared to have a huge pace edge as well. Irad Ortiz Jr. had initially tried to make the lead on Happy Saver, but conceded it to Tacitus, who cut over around the turn.

Ortiz kept his inside position down the backside, acknowledging, however, that it was an uncomfortable trip. Coming to the top of the lane, Ortiz nearly stood up on Happy Saver and thought about going to the outside of Tacitus and Mystic Guide, who was being ridden by John Velazquez, in the stretch.

But turning for home, Tacitus came off the rail and Ortiz took that opportunity to send Happy Saver toward that opening. Still, Mystic Guide got the jump on him as both were about to engulf Tacitus. Mystic Guide had the advantage at the eighth pole, but under Ortiz’s left-handed encouragement Happy Saver outfinished him.

“I don’t want to check him because he’s a huge horse,” Ortiz said. “Whenever I hit him I know he’s going to be there. If it’s still open when we turn for home I’ll go for it, if not I go around Johnny. It was still open, so I went for it. When I hit him, he was there for me, he responded really well.”

Happy Saver, a son of Pletcher’s 2010 Kentucky Derby Super Saver owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.77 and returned $6.70 as the second choice.

“My biggest concern was I felt like, watching the race, he was always a little uncomfortable inside there,” Pletcher said. “He was in a tricky spot. Johnny had first run on him and was able to keep him in there. To his credit, that was a pretty game performance to come up the inside like that in your fourth start.”

By virtue of his victory, Happy Saver earned a fees-paid berth into the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Pletcher said he chose the Gold Cup over last week’s Preakness because he wanted to avoid a large field with the lightly raced Happy Saver. He said he’ll discuss options with the Wertheimers before making a decision.

“I wouldn’t say we’re definite for it and I wouldn’t rule it out, either,” Pletcher said of the Breeders’ Cup.

Mystic Guide finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Tacitus, who was 6 1/4 lengths clear of Prioritize. Name Changer finished last.

Bill Mott, the trainer of Tacitus - who finished third in the Jockey Club for the second year in a row - said his horse had absolutely no excuse.

“He had everything that he needed to win,” Mott said. “That’s probably the most disappointed I’ve been in one of his races. You think he’s supposed to get it done on a day like today.”

For the first time, a Jockey Club Gold Cup Day belonged to Pletcher.