Jockey Club Gold Cup (Grade 1)

BRAD Cox many have the two favourites for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar but after Saratoga’s summer meet closed on Labor Day, another big player has many cards to play at the November championships.

Steve Asmussen became the US’s winningmost trainer during the course of the meeting and he dominated the final weekend as another ‘Player’ emerged to challenge for the Classic.

Asmussen added his third Grade 1 win at the meet by sending out Max Player to capture the 103rd renewal of the Jockey Club Gold Cup on its first running at the Spa.

Max Player’s four-length victory over 2020 winner Happy Saver, coming clear in the final furlong, stamped him as a contender for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar.

“That was the best to date and hopefully he’ll go better. He’s matured wonderfully and he’s made a beautiful older horse. He’s getting strong and running his best races at the right time,” Asmussen said after Saturday’s victory.

The Honor Code colt had performed well in the Triple Crown races last year without looking like he might take top order. A third in the Belmont and Travers came before fifth places in the Preakness and Kentucky Derby, run in September.

He had been a long way back in the Saudi Cup behind Mishriff, the Suburban win came on a sloppy track at 11/1 and he was only third favourite here.

Max Player runs for his breeder George Hall, the founder and president of SportBLX Thoroughbreds, another company which has sold microshares in their horse – to around 600 people – for small money. A small group were on hand for the big win. He said: “Overall this is great for racing. The people we brought today, we brought them into the champagne room after the race and they had the time of their lives.”

Forged to front

Favourite Forza Di Oro led on the rail and Max Player and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. were a half-length behind after a half-mile.

But Forza Di Oro, racing beyond nine furlongs for the first time, weakened as Max Player forged to the front leaving the two-furlong mark.

By the furlong pole, Max Player had a length advantage and drew away as 2020 winner Happy Saver, the second favourite, took second in the final yards.

“For him to do this on a fast track in the Jockey Club Gold Cup here at Saratoga, it is very satisfying. This is who he is, and I thought this was a dominating win. To set the record here at Saratoga, with the fans coming back, and win a third Grade 1 at the meet, it’s a dream meet,” Asmussen told BloodHorse.

The total handle on the final Saturday was $29,842,751 with the meet’s overall total at $815,508,063. The total attendances topped a million for the sixth consecutive year, averaging over 26,000 per day.

Goddess wins another War

Flower Bowl Stakes (Grade 1)

FOR once the leading turf filly in the US appears not to be in the Chad Brown barn and the late-blooming four-year-old English Channel filly War Like Goddess made it six wins from seven starts when she took her first Grade 1 in the Flower Bowl Stakes over a mile and three furlongs on the Saturday card.

The Bill Mott-trained filly did not appear until late September 2020, but less than a year later she rolled to her fourth consecutive graded stakes victory with a fine turn under Julien Leparoux.

She was a bargain buy back at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale when $1,000 took her home.

“She’s a classy filly. You can do whatever you want and she’ll still give you that punch in the end. It’s nice. It’s a sign of the good ones, for sure,” Leparoux said.

Leparoux settled War Like Goddess along the inside about five to six lengths off the pace set by La Signare to a steady mile in 1m37.40 secs on the firm course.

War Like Goddess was switched to the outside by Leparoux in the early straight and raced past the rivals to draw clear, winning in 2m13.07secs.

“She was tucked in most of the way. (He) tipped her out and got running room. She’s won on the inside before. If you can get a clear run, that’s all you need,” Mott said.

Great Island held on for second by a nose over My Sister Nat, who ran on from last in the field of six. Both are trained by Chad Brown, and the latter mare is a half-sister to the 2019 Flower Bowl winner and 2018 champion turf female Sistercharlie .

Mott said that War Like Goddess could go straight to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

“She seems to run pretty well fresh, so maybe that’s what we’ll do.”

British-bred Public Sector was another winner for Chad Brown and Klaravich Stables when he won the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes over a mile and half a furlong.

It was the second graded race win of the meeting for the three-year-old son of Kingman.