War Story to take shot in Jockey Club Gold Cup

War Story, beaten a head in the Frosted Stakes at Parx on Sept. 24, will make his next start in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, owner Ron Paolucci said Tuesday.

Paolucci said that trainer Mario Serey has been impressed with how War Story came out of the Frosted -- also known as the Pennsylvania Derby Champion Stakes -- and that he told Paolucci that he wanted to run the horse right back. Paolucci recommended Saturday's Grade 2, $350,000 Kelso Handicap at Belmont. After sending the horse back to the track a few days after the Parx race, Serey told Paolucci, "We'll win the Gold Cup," Paolucci said.

"I said, 'Are you out of your mind?'" Paolucci said. "Normally, it's me saying let's go to the Gold Cup and the trainer saying let's run in the Kelso."

On Monday, at Parx, War Story worked six furlongs in 1:12 out of the starting gate.

War Story, a gelding by Northern Afleet, is 3 for 14 in his career. He has placed in graded stakes four times and has run in some ambitious spots, such as the 2015 Kentucky Derby, where he finished 16th of 18, and this year's Pacific Classic, where he finsihed seventh of nine, 22 3/4 lengths behind winner California Chrome.

In the Frosted, he closed very well after getting off slowly and was beaten only a head by Cyrus Alexander, the favorite.

"That was the first time since the Louisiana Derby where people didn't call me the the biggest idiot on the planet and said that I ran him where you're supposed," Paolucci said.

When he runs in the Gold Cup, War Story will be starting for his sixth trainer in his last six starts. The horse was sent to Serey after the Pacific Classic, but he ran in trainer Miguel Penaloza's name in the Parx race because Serey was serving a suspension.

As of Tuesday, it was unclear who would ride War Story in the Gold Cup. Javier Castellano is possible but he may ride Protonico, who could be re-routed from the Kelso to the Gold Cup. Paolucci said if Castellano doesn't ride him, he would try to get Trevor McCarthy to ride.

Todd Pletcher said Tuesday he would wait until Wednesday -- entry day -- to decide whether to run Protonico in the Gold Cup or the Kelso. Pletcher already plans to run Anchor Down and Tommy Macho in the Kelso.

The field for the Gold Cup and all seven stakes at Belmont on Saturday will be drawn Wednesday.

The expected Gold Cup field, as of Tuesday, was: Effinex (Mike Smith), Hoppertunity (John Velazquez), Mubtaahij (Irad Ortiz Jr.), War Story (TBD), and Watershed (Joel Rosario). Protonico is possible. Samraat will not be entered.