2023 Jockey Club Gold Cup Preview

Eight older horses will battle for an automatic bid in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup. Long one of the features of the Belmont Park meet, the race was moved to closing weekend at Saratoga starting in 2021.

The history of the race goes back over 100 years to 1919. All-time greats like Man O’ War, Gallant Fox, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Citation, Kelso, Affirmed, John Henry, Cigar, and Curlin have all won this race. It is perennially a live prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, as well. Last year’s winner, Olympiad, ran second in the championship race, and Vino Rosso, who was disqualified from first to second in this race in 2019, went on to win the year’s richest stateside handicap race later that year.

Jockey Club Gold Cup Information

• Race Date: Saturday, September 2
• Track: Saratoga Race Course
• Post Time: 6:18 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 ¼ miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds and upward
• Where to Watch: Fox Sports 2, TVG.com
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

2023 Jockey Club Gold Cup Draw and Odds

This is the full field organized by post position, including trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds.

Jockey Club Gold Cup Prep Race Results

The eight runners come out of seven different races. The only race with two last-out runners is the Suburban (G2), which was run on July 8 at Belmont Park. Though open-lengths winner Charge It does not turn up, second-place Clapton and third-place Unbridled Bomber return to the 1 ¼-mile trip for the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Three of the entrants are last-out graded-stakes winners. Two did so on dirt: Proxy got a confidence-builder in the Monmouth Cup (G3), while Duke of Love earned his first graded score in the West Virginia Governor’s (G3) at Mountaineer. Tyson, the other Canadian shipper, along with Duke of Love, won the Seagram Cup (G2) over the Tapeta at Woodbine last out.

Only one runner comes into this race out of another Grade 1 event. Rattle N Roll was last seen in the Stephen Foster (G1). Though he did not win, he ran second, beaten only a half-length behind the now-retired West Will Power, a solid effort given the less-than-perfect pace setup he got.

The other two runners come from an ungraded company. Warrior Johny was most recently third behind Zozos in a sloppy edition of the Hanshin at Ellis. Bright Future comes out of a second-level allowance win on the Saratoga dirt.

Jockey Club Gold Cup Contenders

These are the eight contenders in order of post position.

1. Proxy: Proxy has long been a fixture in good handicap races, though it often tends to finish underneath more than win. He had his Grade 1 breakthrough in the Clark (G1) last fall; he has since won the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and also ran second, beaten just a neck in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). After he disappointed in the Stephen Foster, he got a confidence builder in the Monmouth Cup. Usually, a stalker or a midpack type, his wire-to-wire victory on the Jersey shore showed another dimension of versatility for this consistent, classy horse.
2. Unbridled Bomber: He has been impressive when clearing his allowance conditions last fall into this spring, though graded-stakes company has seemed a bridge too far so far for this four-year-old. He did earn his first placing at the graded level last out in the Suburban, though that was still a third-place finish 8 ¾ lengths behind the mercurial Charge It. His versatility is a positive, and he has won going as long as 1 3/16 miles, but even in this stratified Grade 1, he has never faced horses as consistently good as Proxy or Rattle N Roll, so a by-default share of the exotics looks like his ceiling again.
3. Warrior Johny: Off of a well-beaten third in a Listed race at Ellis two months ago, this Philip Bauer trainee tries graded-stakes company for the first time. To his credit, his most impressive win came at nine furlongs on the Saratoga dirt last year. However, that came in a first-level allowance, and he has been no threat the two other times he has tried stakes company. Furthermore, that sharp win at the Spa last year came on the front end, where he will have some better company this time around.
4. Rattle N Roll: Perhaps the most consistent horse in the handicap division this year, Rattle N Roll was defeated last out in the Foster but not by much, missing by only a half-length to West Will Power, who got the benefit of a good pace flow. This time, there is enough speed in the race to suggest Rattle N Roll will get what he needs. The 1 ¼-mile distance should work fine for him, too; he won twice at 1 3/16 miles earlier this year. The biggest question is the layoff, as he tends to do his best work with a race underneath him. However, if he can bring one of his better efforts off a two-month freshening, he looms the one to beat.
5. Clapton: Privately sold after his second-place finish behind Charge It in the Suburban, he makes his first start for trainer Chad Summers and his first try in Grade 1 company. Like Rattle N Roll, he is another who should appreciate the surplus of speed in this race. He has never faced quite the quality of horses that exist on the top end of this field, though his last two races suggest this kind of distance is his game, and he does lure Saratoga’s leading rider, Irad Ortiz, Jr. to ride.
6. Tyson: A debut maiden winner for Todd Pletcher in March 2022, he was unraced for over a year before turning back up in the Josie Carroll barn at Woodbine. He has won four of his five starts, including a pair of graded races, though all of those starts have been on synthetic. He has upside: he often finds the lead but has some stalking gear, and even though he has only run up to nine furlongs, his pedigree reads well for 10 (and perhaps even beyond). However, make sure to get a price before taking a shot, between the class and surface questions.
7. Duke of Love: His stablemate Tyson may be more class-proven, but Duke of Love has done something that his stablemate hasn’t: run, and even won, on dirt. He has never caught a fast track like he will Saturday, but in his two dirt tries, he is undefeated: he beat Canada-breds in the Prince of Wales last September, and then beat open company in the West Virginia Governor’s, his first graded stakes win. The question is whether he can run back to that last-out race: it was a huge step forward out of nowhere over a quirky track. And, from a betting perspective, he may get overbet since he is owned by a huge micro-share syndicate, MyRacehorse.
8. Bright Future: His name seems apt, as this lightly-raced Curlin four-year-old makes just his seventh career start and his second in graded-stakes company. He moved early and was eventually eased in his first graded stakes start, the 1 ½-mile Brooklyn on Belmont Stakes day. However, he came back in a second-level allowance at the Spa in July and won by 4 ¾ lengths, suggesting he came out of that disappointment in the Brooklyn just fine. Castellano returns to the saddle from that effort. Pace is the biggest question: he does his best record from a stalking spot, and he can get a clean trip from the outside gate, though it would suit him best if the real speed in the race didn’t truly lock up and make him go too fast, too.

Jockey Club Gold Cup FAQ

Q: When and where is the Jockey Club Gold Cup?

A: The race takes place on Saturday, September 2, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is the 11th featured on the 12-race card and is set to go off at 6:18 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins?

A: “Sunny” Jim Fitzsimmons leads all trainers with seven victories between 1929 and 1956, including with stars like Gallant Fox and Nashua. Among trainers with horses entered in the 2023 edition, the only one who has won it before is Todd Pletcher (Bright Future). He won with Happy Saver in 2020.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Jockey Club Gold Cup?

A: Rattle N Roll is the 8-5 morning-line favorite, with Proxy just behind at 2-1. Both have strong form this year against fields that are deeper than this one. Off of that, either could be favored, and they should both be close in the wagering.

Q: Who is the best jockey?

A: Eddie Arcaro won this race an unprecedented 11 times between 1935 and 1961. Among jockeys who will get a leg up this year, two have won the race twice. Joel Rosario, who won with Flat Out (2012) and Tonalist (2014), rides Proxy. Irad Ortiz, Jr. won in 2017 with Diversify and in 2020 with Happy Saver; he takes the call on Clapton.

Q: Who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2022?

A: Olympiad won the 2022 edition for trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado. Mott does not have an entrant this year, though Alvarado rides Warrior Johny for Philip Bauer.