Antiquarian Captures Jockey Club Gold Cup in Saratoga Finale
This week saw the climax of another spectacular Saratoga meeting. Labor Day weekend’s racing was highlighted by Antiquarian triumphing in the 10-furlong Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) on Aug. 31. Todd Pletcher had a bittersweet race; while trains Antiquarian, another standout from his barn, Mindframe, forfeited his chances at a win by throwing jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. early in the contest. According to the most recent reports from the Times Union, Ortiz thankfully didn’t suffer serious injury.
Antiquarian and Sierra Leone Aim for Breeders’ Cup Classic
Bred by the late Brereton C. Jones, a former Kentucky governor, Antiquarian races for Centennial Racing; his half-sister, Fondly, won this year’s Delaware Oaks (G3). Both four-year-old Antiquarian and second-place finisher Sierra Leone are scheduled to train up to the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Classic; Sierra Leone won last year’s edition of that race.
Spendthrift Farm’s Juveniles Shine with Spinaway and Hopeful Victories
A pair of promising two-year-olds closed out the meeting’s grade 1 competitions. In particular, the legendary Spendthrift Farm, currently owned by Eric and Tamara Hughes Gustavson, had a pair of incredible successes. Farm homebred Tommy Jo, a homebred, is named for Gustavson’s granddaughter; she won the Spinaway. And then Ted Noffey–named after a misprinted version of Spendthrift Farm general manager Ned Toffey’s name–brought home the crown in the Hopeful Stakes. The Hopeful was a family affair, as Spendthrift was sponsoring the mainstay of the juvenile calendar, and the famed nursery owns Ted Noffey. Both Tommy Jo and Ted Noffey are sired by Into Mischief, who stands at Spendthrift and has led the top sire list six times.
Saratoga Meet Closes with $1 Billion Handle and Over 1 Million Fans
As the Saratoga meet drew to a close, the New York Racing Association tallied the combined handle for the 49 days of competition. The all-sources amount came to a whopping $1 billion, which includes the rescheduled Belmont Stakes (G1) and the cards for the weekend of July 4. For the tenth consecutive year (excluding 2020, when the track was closed due to COVID-19), more than 1 million fans attended the races. The NYRA Star program, aimed at attracting younger fans, recorded almost 3,000 sign-ups.
Fierceness Dominates Pacific Classic as City of Light Progeny Shine at Del Mar
Heading west, at Del Mar, Fierceness continued his superstar ways by capturing the Aug. 30 Pacific Classic (G1). A champion at two and multiple grade 1 winner at three, the son of City of Light defeated Preakness (G1) victor Journalism in the competition. Fierceness came in second to the aforementioned Sierra Leone in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. This weekend was a good one for Lane’s End Farm stallion City of Light; that same day, another of his sons Formidable Man, won the Del Mar Mile (G2T).
Wimbledon Hawkeye Wins $3.5M Nashville Derby in Photo Finish at Kentucky Downs
Meanwhile, Kentucky Downs featured an epic card on Aug. 30, featuring purses of $11.74 million and several automatic berths to corresponding Breeders’ Cup races. The track’s richest-ever race, the $3.5-million Nashville Derby (G3T), got underway. The Aug. 30 race saw British-bred Wimbledon Hawkeye nosed out Burnham Square in an exciting photo finish. Wimbledon Hawkeye brings a high-class female family across the Atlantic; his fourth dam, blue hen Eljazzi, is the ancestress of such top-flight runners as grade/group 1 winners Invincible Spirit, Nayarra, Mishriff, Pinatubo, and Chinese White. The day after the Nashville, Irish-bred The Padre captured the Del Mar Derby (G2T). This was just the colt’s fourth career start.
