Belmont Gold Cup

In a race that is longer than the vast majority of Thoroughbred races in the U.S., Thursday's two-mile GII Belmont Gold Cup S. was won in high style by Eclipse Thoroughbreds and The Estate of Albert Frassetto's The Grey Wizard (Ire) (g, 5, Caravaggio--Fancy {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), who waited until the final moments to close with a rush and nab the narrow victory from Champagne Juan (Justify). With the victory, The Grey Wizard annexed the Golden Ticket for the G1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Nov. 5. Sent off at...

A berth in the G1 Melbourne Cup is at stake in Thursday's GII Belmont Gold Cup, the first of the weekend's graded stakes during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. The New York Racing Association has gone so far as to fly in one of the world's premier commentators, Victoria-based Matt Hill, to describe the action in the two-mile test--essentially two laps of the inner turf course at the Spa. Godolphin won the 2018 Melbourne Cup with Cross Counter (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) returns to...

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...