By J.N. Campbell
'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party (Constitution) slid on his duck boots and ran on nicely after making the GII Belmont Gold Cup as a 'main track only' entrant. With significant rainfall in the offing during the afternoon, the race was reduced one level when it was taken off the grass and cutback from two miles to one and three-quarters.
Still, entries were prepared to chase the 'Golden Ticket' which offered the victor an automatic berth in the Nov. 4 running of the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup worth more than AUD $8 million. The Gold Cup represents a continuation of the partnership between NYRA and the Victoria Racing Club.
The Bill Mott trainee was handed a 'Rising Star' badge after clearing second out an optional claimer at Churchill Downs late in his juvenile year. His Hall of Fame trainer tried the bay over the grass on both Florida tracks this past spring–in an optional claimer at Tampa Feb. 15 and in the GII Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Mar. 1–but the results were mixed at best. Getting back on the dirt going nine furlongs versus optional claimers at Keeneland Apr. 19, Parchment Party was the runner-up behind GI Met Mile hopeful Just a Touch (Justify) before hitting the board facing optional claimers under the Twin Spires May 17.
Sent on his way as a 7-1 shot here, Parchment Party watched as fellow 'main track only' entrant Yo Daddy (Yoshida {Jpn}) set the pace. The 4-year-old loped along past the grandstand for the first time until the field entered the backstretch. At that point, the colt began to move up, picking off opponents one by one. Parchment Party had the leader in his sights around the far turn and with a strong kick easily passed Yo Daddy to earn the cup convincingly.
“At 1 o'clock in the afternoon it looked like we were not going to run,” said trainer Bill Mott. “We gave the horses their regular lunch and put some water in for them, and all of a sudden I looked up and said we'd better change course here and get these horses ready to run. So we cleaned them up, put the bridles on them and brought them over.”
On a potential start in the Melbourne Cup, Mott said: “I'm happy to have won but I don't know if I'll be able to accept the invitation. I'd love to go to a race like the Melbourne Cup, but when I do I want to go with the right horse.”
Pedigree Notes:
Parchment Party, bred on the same cross that produced GI Belmont Stakes hero and GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Tiz the Law and Grade III winner and 'TDN Rising Star' We the People, is half-brother to Muqtaser (Distorted Humor), MGSP, $303,605; and Darley Japan stallion American Patriot (War Front), GISW, $487,272, and is out of Life Well Lived–a full-sister to MGI/G1SW Well Armed–who was purchased by Bobby Flay in foal to American Pharoah for $1.25 million at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale.
Life Well Lived is also related to GSW Witty (Distorted Humor), the dam of GSW Bombard (War Front) and MGSP Amuse (Medaglia d'Oro); and to Well Lived (Tiznow), whose recently retired daughter Played Hard (Into Mischief) won the GI La Troienne Stakes. This is also the family of two-time Japanese Horse of the Year Symboli Kris S (Kris S.).
Life Well Lived–who was RNAd for $775,000 when offered in foal to Curlin at KEENOV in 2019–has a 3-year-old full brother to Parchment Party and was purchased by Machmer Hall for $360,000 at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale while carrying another full-brother to the Gold Cup winner. Life Well Lived produced yet another colt by Constitution this spring and she is reported back in foal, this time to Practical Joke, for 2026.
Friday, Saratoga
BELMONT GOLD CUP S.-GIII, $250,000, Saratoga, 6-6, 4yo/up, 1 3/4m (off turf), 2:57.86, sy.
1–PARCHMENT PARTY, 124, c, 4, by Constitution
1st Dam: Life Well Lived, by Tiznow
2nd Dam: Well Dressed, by Notebook
3rd Dam: Trithenia, by Gold Meridian
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($450,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-B Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-William I Mott; J-John R Velazquez. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 10-3-1-1, $329,101. *1/2 to Muqtaser (Distorted Humor), MGSP, $303,605; and American Patriot (War Front), GISW, $487,272. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Yo Daddy, 124, c, 4, Yoshida (Jpn)–Elle Stormin', by Tale of the Cat. ($29,000 RNA 2yo '23 OBSOPN). O-Winning Move Stable; B-Big Chief Racing LLC & Rocker O Ranch LLC (KY); T-Linda Rice. $50,000.
3–Padiddle, 118, g, 5, Empire Maker–Belle Chaussee, by Giant's Causeway. ($205,000 Wlg '20 FTKNOV; $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Imaginary Stables; B-Frankfort Park Farm (KY); T-Fernando Abreu. $30,000.
Margins: 8HF, 14HF, 3/4. Odds: 7.00, 4.10, 15.10.
Also Ran: Flatten the Curve (Fr), Curbstone, Timeout, Tawny Port, Grand Sonata. Scratched: Anglophile, La Mehana (Fr), Limited Liability, Lord Flintshire, The Ginger Wizard (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Another win for Johnny V! 🙌
PARCHMENT PARTY wins the Belmont Gold Cup giving @ljlmvel his third win today, this one for trainer Bill Mott. pic.twitter.com/STIYmKjY6D
— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 6, 2025
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
