A field of eight is set to go postward in the GII Belmont Gold Cup at Belmont Park Friday, with only Conviction Trade (Exchange Rate) ever having attempted the marathon two-mile distance. The 5-year-old set the pace before settling for second in the H Allen Jerkens S. at Gulfstream Park last December. Again on the front end early, he tired to third in the 1 1/2-mile John B. Connally Turf Cup S. at Sam Houston Jan. 31. Eighth in the Mar. 20 GII Muniz Memorial Classic S. at Fair Grounds Mar. 20, he was most recently fourth in a 1 3/16-mile Keeneland allowance contest Apr. 23.
LECH Racing Limited's Baron Samedi (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) brings a six-race win streak into the Gold Cup and will be making his stateside debut in the race. He is coming off a win in the 1 3/4-mile G3 Vintage Crop S. at Navan.
“He's been a nice, progressive horse into this season,” trainer Joseph O'Brien said. “He's a horse that will stay well. Tactically and ground wise, he's shown that he is quite versatile. He was a relatively cheap purchase of a foal [3,500gns wnlg '17 TATNOV]. As he has matured physically, he's really matured. With more distance, he's gotten better.”
European invaders have won the last three runnings of the Belmont Gold Cup: Red Cardinal [2017], Call to Mind [2018] and Amade [2019].
Trainer Brad Cox will send out Anstu Stables' Kinenos (Empire Maker) who is coming off a sharp optional-claiming win going 1 1/4 miles over Belmont Park's inner turf Apr. 29. The 4-year-old was third in last year's Caesars S. at Indiana Grand.
“It's kind of like the 3-year-olds going a mile and a half [with the two-mile distance] in that you don't know until you try,” Cox, who saddles morning-line favorite Essential Quality (Tapit) in the 12-furlong GI Belmont S. Saturday, said. “But he's been a horse where it's been the longer, the better. This is about as long as it gets, so we'll see how he handles it.”
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