Breeders' Cup Challenge Hits Santa Anita for Gold Cup

A field of 11 older runners will line up on Saturday afternoon in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita (Grade 1) with the winner earning an automatic starting spot in the field for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1). 

While Triple Crown winner American Pharoah will make an appearance at Santa Anita between the seventh and eighth race to parade in front of his adoring fans, some of the foes he likely will meet later this year will do battle in the Gold Cup.

The race is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race, with the winner stamping an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which will be run on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Keeneland.

American Pharoah is the current favorite for the Classic in the latest odds released by Odds Shark at 17-10. Last year’s Kentucky Derby (Grade 1) winner California Chrome is the co-second choice in early wagering at 9-1 along with Palace Malice, who was third in the Diablo Stakes on May 10 in his 2015 debut.

The Gold Cup at Santa Anita, previously run as the Hollywood Gold Cup at the now-closed Hollywood Park, has been won by many all-time greats, including Lava Man and Native Diver three times each, as well as Real Quiet, Cigar, Ferdinand, Affirmed, Citation and Seabiscuit.

The Gold Cup will be televised on the NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. ET.

The top three finishers from the Californian (Grade 2) won by Catch a Flight return in the Gold Cup. The Argentine-bred Catch a Flight is the 5-2 morning line favorite and will be seeking his third win in a row under Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.

Californian runner-up Moreno is the co-second choice at 7-2 along with the Bob Baffert-trained Hoppertunity, who ran third in the Stephen Foster Handicap (Grade 1) just two weeks ago at Churchill Downs.

In addition to the Gold Cup and the appearance of the Triple Crown winner, Santa Anita will feature three graded stakes that likely will produce starters for the Breeders’ Cup.

The supporting features are the $100,000 Senorita (Grade 2) for three-year-old fillies, the $300,000 Triple Bend (Grade 1) for top sprinters and the $200,000 Royal Heroine (Grade 2) for fillies and mares.

Here is a look at my top three selections for the Gold Cup at Santa Anita.

Win

Catch a Flight has won three of his last four starts, last taking the Californian over the Santa Anita main track, beating Moreno by a half-length. The Richard Mandella trainee is coming off a career top Beyer Speed Figure and looks as if he will not have a problem handling the extra ground here.

His lone loss in his last four starts was his third in the Santa Anita Handicap (Grade 1) behind Shared Belief and a head behind Moreno. He should get an honest pace to run here and looks capable of winning right back as the likely betting favorite.

Place

Hard Aces made a mild late run to finish third in the Californian, beaten four lengths for the top spot. He ran big back in January, winning the Louisiana Handicap with a career top Beyer Speed Figure and then was two lengths behind our top pick when fourth in the Big 'Cap, which was his first start after landing in the John Sadler barn.

The five-year-old failed to fire when shipped to Hot Springs for the Oaklawn Handicap (Grade 2), but looks headed back in the right direction and added blinkers last time out. He has enough pedigree to handle the distance and is going to be a decent price in this spot.

Show

Moreno prompted the early pace and battled on right to the wire in the Californian, beaten by just a half-length. He pulled off a mild upset two back, winning the Charles Town Classic (Grade 2), which was his first win since taking the Whitney (Grade 1) last summer at Saratoga.

He is now 0-for-9 over the Santa Anita main track and does have a habit of landing for minor shares. 

Morning line odds via Equibase.

Follow Michael Dempsey on Twitter @turfnsport.