Rattle N Roll is the favourite to shake up the competition in the 2023 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga on Saturday.
Kenneth McPeek’s four-year-old is 2.75 with bet365 to take the 1 mile 2 furlong Grade 1, as McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez both seek their first win in the race, which was first run in 1919 and has a $1,250,000 purse.
Two months ago, the colt’s three-race winning streak – all of which came at Grade 3 level – came to an end when running on well to finish second in the Stephen Foster Stakes, his first entry into an open-age Grade 1.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 1st, 7:30 P.M. (BST)
Eighth and last in the Stephen Foster was Proxy, who bounced back perfectly to win a Grade 3 at Monmouth Park three weeks later. That performance means the 5-year-old is second favourite for tomorrow, at 4.00.
Two-time winner of the Gold Cup, Joel Rosario, retains his ride for trainer Michael Stidham. Rosario also took the reins for a Grade 2 success in April.
Javier Castellano rides 5.00 shot Bright Future, who might well have just that ahead of him should he land his first Grade 1 race. A winner on this track last time out, his only prior graded run ended in an eighth place finish in a Grade 2 at Belmont Park in June.
Another short price is Tyson, at 6.50 for Josie Carroll and 2018 winning jockey Manuel Franco. The four-year-old was third in a Grade 2 at Woodbine in June before two victories at the same track in July but is yet to run over this distance.
At 15.00 is Clapton, who is also stepping up to open-age Grade 1s for the first time in his first outing for Chad Summers. Before switching from Juan Alvarado earlier this week, the four-year-old took a win and three places this season, most recently at Belmont Park’s Suburban Stakes in early July.
Duke Of Love (17.00) was seventh in one of Tyson’s triumphs at Woodbine this season, but Carroll’s other runner responded well to win a Grade 3 at Mountaineer Park last month.
Still looking for his first victory is Unbridled Bomber (21.00) for James T. Ryerson and jockey Dylan Davis. Last time out he was third of five at Belmont Park in his first trip over 1 mile 2 furlongs.
Rounding off the eight-horse field is 34.00 chance Warrior Johny, the mount of last year’s winning jockey, Junior Alvarado. Warrior Johny finished behind Clapton in the Suburban in what was his first 1 mile 2 furlong challenge.
