Robert “Shel” Evans's Tonalist (Tapit) hopes to successfully defend his title against a small, but talented field in Belmont's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. Saturday, which is a “Win and You're In” event for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Winner of last term's GII Peter Pan S., GI Belmont S. and Jockey Club Gold Cup, the “TDN Rising Star's” only win so far this term came in his seasonal bow in this venue's GIII Westchester S. May 2, where he made easy work of an overmatched field. The handsome bay lost nothing in defeat when second to a monster performance from fellow “TDN Rising Star” Honor Code (A.P. Indy) in the GI Metropolitan H. here June 6 and missed by just a head to Effinex (Mineshaft) next out in this track's GII Suburban H. July 4. The Christophe Clement pupil was last seen finishing third behind Honor Code and subsequent GI Woodward S. winner Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song) in Saratoga's GI Whitney S. Aug. 8. Tonalist enters off a pair of bullet works over this strip, most recently breezing a best-of-31 five panels in 1:00 1/5 Sept. 26, and his Belmont record of 5-3-2-0 speaks for itself. “I'm delighted with the horse. I think he's doing great,” said Clement. “He's strong. He loves it here. He's been eating very well. He has been training very willingly and I'm happy with him.”
Jimmy Jerkens sends out a strong pair of contenders in Tri-Bone Stables's Effinex and Centennial Farms's Wicked Strong (Hard Spun). Kicking off this term with an optional claimer win in the Aqueduct mud over a field that included the reopposing Coach Inge (Big Brown) Mar. 27, Effinex bested his heavily favored stablemate Wicked Strong in that track's GIII Excelsior S. Apr. 25. Pulled up next out in Belmont's GII Brooklyn H. June 6, the dark bay scored a narrow victory in the Suburban and checked in fourth in Saratoga's Woodward last time Sept. 5. “He's won at [1 1/4 miles] twice so that's got to mean something,” Jerkens said of the distance. “He's kind of hard to figure out. I don't why he did what he did the day he bolted [in the Brooklyn] and I don't know why he acted the way he did in the gate [for the Woodward]. He keeps us guessing, but when he gets in that gate with the right frame of mind, he's as good as any of them, that's for sure.”
Victor of last term's GI Wood Memorial S. and GII Jim Dandy S., Wicked Strong takes his second crack at this event after clipping heels and losing rider Rajiv Maragh in last year's renewal. Third in the Excelsior and fifth in the Met Mile, the bay finished second to King Kreesa (King Cugat) when trying grass for the first time in the Forbidden Apple S. July 11. A respectable fourth in the Whitney and third in the Woodward, the 4-year-old was not too far off Tonalist's bullet when completing five panels in 1:00 2/5 here that same day Sept. 26 (3/31).
Todd Pletcher also saddles two in this event in Repole Stable's Coach Inge and WinStar Farm and Twin Creeks Racing's Constitution (Tapit). Coach Inge romped by 12 1/2 lengths in a muddy Aqueduct optional claimer Apr. 22 before besting last term's GI Travers S. hero V.E. Day (English Channel) in the Brooklyn. Third in the Suburban, the gelding completed the exacta in the Woodward last time Sept. 5. Winner of last term's GI Florida Derby, “TDN Rising Star” Constitution kicked off this term with a victory in Gulfstream's GI Donn H. Feb. 7 and was subsequently shelved. The bay tried his hand at the turf in his return at Saratoga Sept. 7, where he lead the way early before fading to fifth behind a course record-setting Ironicus (Distorted Humor) in the GII Bernard Baruch H. Sept. 7.
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