Expert Pick of the Week: 2024 Jockey Club Gold Cup

Aug 29, 2024 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

A strong and accomplished field of seven will go postward in Sunday’s $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1) at Saratoga. The 1 1/4-mile event is led by the exciting Arthur’s Ride, who led at every call en route to a dominant victory in the Whitney S. (G1) on the surface last time out. He is the Expert Pick of the Week.

Trained by Bill Mott, the peaking colt has been superb at this meet in two tries, which includes a 12-length allowance waltz two back at today’s 10-furlong distance. The gray son of Tapit finished second best in the first two starts of his career on the course in 2022, but he has morphed into a different animal from his pair of two-turn races as of late.

Arthur’s Ride is 3-for-4 this campaign, and he combines fine early speed with the ability to carry it over a route of ground, and the colt also appears to be the one to catch once again. The Glassman Racing color-bearer has posted a pair of maintenance morning moves in advance of Sunday and his best performance will make him close to untouchable in the contest. Regular pilot Junior Alvarado will be in the stirrups.

A thrilling finish in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (GI)!

#3 Domestic Product at 9/2 gets the job done at #TheSpa with Flavien Prat in the saddle for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/yJmtQ5yMcz

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 24, 2024

 

I have yet to give up on 2023 Travers S. (G1) runner-up Disarm and consider him to be a viable second choice in the talented field. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the Gun Runner chestnut has shown improvement with each run of 2024, and while he has yet to reach his form of last season, I feel that he is sitting on a big effort Sunday. The four-year-old colt has run well in each lifetime try at this voyage and is training in good fashion. The Winchell homebred will also save valuable ground throughout, and Joel Rosario retains the ride atop the dangerous contender.

Godolphin homebred #6 Highland Falls is a consistently good colt who seems poised to thrive on his second try at 1 1/4 miles. The chestnut son of Curlin is not especially explosive, but the four-year-old is quite steady and has the right running to grind his way into the top three with his best effort. Flavien Prat riding is a bonus.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #7 Arthur’s Ride on top of #4 Disarm and #6 Highland Falls in the 2024 Jockey Club Gold Cup is the Best Bet of the Week.