Blame heads Jockey Club Gold Cup field

By: SPORTS NETWORK

 

Elmont, NY (Sports Network) - Whitney Handicap winner Blame heads a field of eight thoroughbreds for Saturday's $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. The 1 1/4-mile race is a final prep for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 6 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Al Stall, Jr., Blame will be ridden by Garrett Gomez from post two.

"I don't think the distance is a question," Stall stated this week. "Everything he has done and factored in his pedigree and his style I think points to a mile and a quarter.

"We've been looking forward to a mile and quarter since last year actually. So I don't think we have much to worry about as far as him staying the trail."

The four-year-old colt defeated 1-2 favorite Quality Road in the Whitney over 1 1/8-miles on August 7 at Saratoga. Two months earlier Blame won the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs and in May captured the William Donald Schaeffer at Pimlico.

"I have been doing this a long time and obviously this a rarefied gift," Stall said about training Blame. "And I kind of felt like I prepared myself my whole life to be in this spot. So I welcome it with open arms and we're embracing right now having a good time and as long as the horse stays healthy I think we're going to do very well."

Owned by Adele Dilscheider and Claiborne Farm, Blame has posted five straight wins coming into the Gold Cup and has won eight of 11 lifetime starts for more than $1.5 million.

Hollywood Gold Cup runner-up Rail Trip has come in from California for the Jockey Club Gold Cup leading to a start in the Breeders' Cup. The five-year- old gelding will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez from far outside post.

Now trained by Rick Dutrow, Rail Trip is owned by Jay Em Ess Stable and is best known for having won last year's Hollywood Gold Cup. He began 2010 with a pair of victories in the Mervyn LeRoy and Californian, both at Hollywood Park.

Rail Trip has earned more than $1 million with eight wins in 12 career starts.

Here is the complete field in post position order: Fly Down, Jose Lezcano; Blame, Gomez; Mythical Power, John Velazquez; Tranquil Manner, Alan Garcia; Dry Martini, Edgar Prado; Haynesfield, Ramon Dominguez; Hold Me Back, Rajiv Maragh and Rail Trip, Velasquez.

All horses, except Fly Down, will carry 126 pounds. The three-year-old will carry 122 pounds.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup has a post-time Saturday of 5:50 p.m. (et).