Turf experiment behind him, Constitution eyes Jockey Club Gold Cup

ELMONT, N.Y. – After finishing fifth in the Bernard Baruch Handicap on turf, Constitution will get back to his preferred surface when he runs in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup next Saturday at Belmont Park.

The winner of the Grade 1 Florida Derby last year at 3 and the Grade 1 Donn Handicap earlier this year, Constitution was sidelined with a shin injury that forced him to miss the Dubai World Cup in March as well as the major dirt races for older males this summer.

Looking for a place to get him started, his connections elected to run Constitution on turf in the Bernard Baruch on Sept. 7 at Saratoga, and he finished 4 3/4 lengths behind winner Ironicus.

Constitution came back 12 days later to work a half-mile at Saratoga and was scheduled to work again Saturday over the Oklahoma training track there.

“I think we got a good race out of him,” trainer Todd Pletcher said Friday. “Hopefully, we got the conditioning that we needed. He’s had one work; he’ll have another work this weekend. I think the combination of the race and a couple of works under his belt will hopefully have him sitting on a top effort.”

Constitution is one of six horses expected for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, run at 1 1/4 miles and a stepping-stone to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic next month at Keeneland.

Pletcher also will run Coach Inge, who won the Grade 2 Brooklyn here in June and then finished third in the Grade 2 Suburban and second in the Grade 1 Woodward.

Also expected for the Jockey Club are defending winner Tonalist, who was expected to breeze Saturday; Suburban Handicap winner Effinex; 2014 Wood Memorial winner Wicked Strong; and Looks to Spare, the 74-1 winner of the West Virginia Governor’s Cup at Mountaineer on Aug. 1.