Flat Out to revive his career in the Jockey Club Gold Cup
The sloppy track didn’t matter last time around in the 2011 edition of the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup to Flat Out, and winning at Belmont Park back then convinced the audience that Flat Out was going to be the next big thing than he already is in his division.
Only if life could adapt to a similar pattern over and over again, and make things turn out to be like they seem to, but they don’t and then reality kicks in. Flat Out just about this time of the year, last year, was flying high with two runner-up positions and two victories to show that converted his year into one heck of a season.
However, his switch of trainers after a couple of defeats was hard to manage for the now 6-year-old gelding, who has given nothing less than his best on the track.
The son Flatter is coping well with the change under the wing of Bill Mott from Scooter Dickey, and his past couple of races are significant proof that he has set things up nicely for his first major victory in this year’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Preston Stables’ Flat Out started off the season with a below par 12th place finish in the Grade 3 Fort Lauderdale Stakes against an ordinary field, but the warm up race posed concerns.
Stayed at Gulfstream Park to try his luck over a stretched out distance of 1 1/8 miles, Flat Out made a huge improvement from his last race and finished a respectful fifth to, Hymn Book.
It was the start of the comeback, as Flat Out off to Monmouth Park produced the best run of his year in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup, but couldn’t overhaul Rule to post his first victory.
Out of Cresta Rider mare Cresta Lil, Flat Out is currently exiting a third place finish in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap to Fort Larned against a competitive lineup, but resurgence is prominent.
The Florida bred horse will be formidable in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and will look to bring back glory days which got lost in transition this time.
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