Two scratches leave Forever Young an even shorter price in Jockey Club Gold Cup
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ELMONT, N.Y. - Banishing and Chunk of Gold, a pair of 12-1 shots on the morning-line but potential pace players nonetheless, will both scratch from Friday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, their connections said Tuesday.
David Jacobson, the trainer of Banishing, most recently second in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, will instead be pointed to the Grade 2, $500,000 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs on Sept. 26. He finished third in that race last year after winning the Charles Town Classic.
“Why run against the second-best horse in our lifetime? Secretariat’s the best and he’s got to be right in behind him,” Jacobson said of Forever Young. “Those guys do an amazing job, the management and training, the horse hardly runs and he runs lights-out every time. Why run against him when I’ve got a better spot where I’ll be first or second choice.?”
Chunk of Gold, who was supplemented to the Jockey Club when entries were taken last Saturday, will also scratch, and point to the Lukas Classic. On Tuesday, trainer Ethan West told the New York Racing Association that “logistical issues weren’t working out in our favor to get up there, so we decided to go with our original plan,” he said.
Forever Young, the reigning older male dirt champion and defending Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, will now be even shorter than his 3-5 odds on the morning line. On Tuesday, Forever Young worked five furlongs in 1:02.01 over Belmont’s main track, going his final three furlongs in 34.08 seconds under regular rider Ryusei Sakai. He worked after walking one lap on the Tapeta track.
“He’s enjoyed the track, he handled well, seems like he’s very happy,” Sakai said through an interpreter. “I’m quite happy with that.”
The defections of Banishing and Chunk of Gold leave Phileas Fogg as the lone speed in the Gold Cup under Kendrick Carmouche. Phileas Fogg is coming off a 10-length victory in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 4.
Baeza, who has been hampered by gate issues in all three of his starts this year, will likely be the second choice. His stablemate Stars and Stripes, nose winner of the Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga last out, and Render Judgment, runner-up in a second-level allowance on Aug. 21 at Saratoga, complete the field.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup offers a fees-paid berth into the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Oct. 31.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup goes as race 5 on a 10-race card that starts at 1:30 p.m. and the race will be shown on FOX during a 90-minute broadcast beginning at 3 p.m. Approximate post time for the Gold Cup is 4:15 p.m.
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