By Christie DeBernardis
Two of the top colts in a murky 3-year-old male division will attempt to clarify the year-end picture as they take on their elders in a five-horse renewal of Belmont's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. Saturday, a “Win and You're In” race for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) threw his hat into the ring for divisional leadership last time out with a decisive late-running score in the GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga Aug. 24, where he defeated the re-opposing Tacitus (Tapit) by three lengths. Victorious in the GII Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth S. this winter, the chestnut was third behind Maximum Security (New Year's Day) in a paceless renewal of the GI Xpressbet.com Florida Derby Mar. 30 and crossed the line third, but was promoted to second via DQ in the GI Kentucky Derby May 4. Given a break for the rest of the Triple Crown trail, the W. S. Farish homebred returned to action with a good-looking score in the one-mile GIII Dwyer S. July 6 prior to his Travers triumph.
“I think it's a good spot for him. It's a small field so hopefully the speed will show a little bit,” conditioner Shug McGaughey told the NYRA notes team. “We'll just let him run his race. He came out of the Travers fine and he's coming back a month off of that effort but he seems to be doing really well. I think he'll run his race, and we'll see if he's good enough. There are some nice horses in the field but if he goes over there and runs his race, I think they'll know he's in there.”
Victor of the GII Tampa Bay Derby and GII Wood Memorial S. earlier this term, Tacitus was third via DQ in the Kentucky Derby. He has had a bit of seconditis since, completing the exacta in the GI Belmont S. June 8, GII Jim Dandy S. July 27 and the Travers. Five 3-year-olds have won the JC Gold Cup since 2000 when Albert the Great (Go For Gin) completed the feat. He was followed by Bernardini (A.P. Indy) in 2006, Curlin (Smart Strike) in 2007, Summer Bird (Birdstone) in 2009 and Tonalist (Tapit) in 2014. Curlin was the last to complete the Gold Cup/GI Breeders' Cup Classic double in 2007. He successfully defended his Gold Cup title in 2008.
Preservationist (Arch) has really come into his own this year at age six. Capturing a pair of optional claimers, at Aqueduct Feb. 2 and Belmont May 23, he followed suit with a win in the GII Suburban S. July 6 in Elmont. Fourth behind 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie (Street Sense) in Saratoga's prestigious GI Whitney S., the bay rebounded with a tenacious victory in that venue's historic GI Woodward S. Aug. 31.
Vino Rosso (Curlin) seeks his second top-level score of the season. Opening his 2019 account with a win in the Stymie S. Mar. 9 at the Big A, the chestnut was fourth in the seven-furlong GI Carter H. there Apr. 6. Sent to California next out, he proved that decision wise with a victory in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita May 27 and was third last time in the Whitney.
Rounding out the quintet is longshot Olympic Village (Congrats), a 3-year-old who was claimed out of his last start. Off the board in his Laurel debut Oct. 11, the gelding won his next two starts there in November for owner/breeder Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mike Stidham. He was not seen again until this year at Saratoga in a seven-furlong, $75,000 claimer, which he won by three lengths and was haltered by trainer Anthony Quartarolo. Cross-entered for Saturday's GIII Ack Ack S. at Churchill, Olympic Village races in the colors of Ron Paolucci Racing.
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