Formidable lineup shapes up for the Jockey Cup Gold Cup
The 94th renewal of the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup has drawn 10 seriously capable colts and geldings to participate in the 1 ¼ mile event, and it will be not an easy task to separate all of them from each other when the competitive lineup - which contains horses from all of the male divisions – takes field on 29 September, 2012, at Belmont Park.
The elite lineup has six Grade 1 winners, and two are of Bill Mott trained, Ron the Greek, and fairly new to his stable, Flat Out.
Ron the Greek has gone on to win the Santa Anita Handicap, and then continued his good run of form in the Stephen Foster Handicap, and on the back of such performances, he has been installed as the 5 to 2 favourite to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Flat Out on the other hand has been installed as the second choice at 3 to 1 to do what Ron the Greek is backed up to do, and last year’s Gold Cup winner is coming into form this season at the right time. Flat Out came under Bill Mott’s wing from Scooter Dickey earlier this year following three straight defeats.
"I'm very pleased with the way both of them are coming into the race," said Mott.
"Flat Out has had a fair amount of time to get over the Whitney. We've had a nice training schedule since then, and obviously he's run well on the track before (winning the Gold Cup and grade II Suburban in 2011). I mean, that's got to be a bonus anytime you've got one running on any particular track, if they've already been a dual winner there.”
Flat Out will break from post number 9, and will be ridden by Joel Rosario. On the other hand, the Whitney Handicap winner, Fort Larned, has been installed at 7 to 2, who also went onto capture the Cornhusker Handicap.
Hymn Book will be sent at 5 to 1, and will break from post number 4 under, John Velazquez, while Ruler On Ice is at 20 to 1, and Stay Thirsty at 12 to 1.
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