Belmont Gold Cup 2016: Post Time, Race Schedule and Prize-Money Info
The 2016 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational is a thrilling precursor to the 148th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It spans two miles and features horses ages four and up, requiring the seasoned veterans to show uncommon stamina in the lengthy race.
Friday marks the start of the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational, which will be run on turf, as opposed to the Belmont Stakes' dirt track. The total prize money at stake is $300,000, with $165,000 going to the winning owner—a considerable sum for a race in only its third year.
The Belmont Stakes' official website has the complete race schedule with post times. The Gold Cup Invitational is slated to start at 5:46 p.m. ET.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Check out the entries and post positions for the field of 13 below, along with a preview of what to expect in one of the more highly anticipated showcases on the Belmont Stakes undercard.
| 1 | Belisarius | William Mott | Jose Ortiz | 12-1 |
| 2 | Tobias | Rafael Fernandez | Gabriel Saez | 50-1 |
| 3 | Closing Bell | William Mott | Jose Lezcano | 8-1 |
| 4 | Up With the Birds | H. Graham Motion | John Velazquez | 6-1 |
| 5 | Da Big Hoss | Mike Maker | Florent Geroux | 3-1 |
| 6 | Tiz Town | Ian R. Wilkes | Luis Saez | 15-1 |
| 7 | Rum Tum Tugger | Jonathan Sheppard | Alex Cintron | 20-1 |
| 8 | Silver Lime | Janet Elliot | Manuel Franco | 30-1 |
| 9 | Kaigun | Mark Casse | Joel Rosario | 4-1 |
| 10 | My Afleet | James Lawrence II | Kendrick Carmouche | 30-1 |
| 11 | Biz The Nurse | Thomas Albertrani | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 20-1 |
| 12 | Twilight Eclipse | Thomas Albertrani | Javier Castellano | 8-1 |
| 13 | Now We Can | Nicolas Clement | Julien Leparoux | 5-1 |
2016 Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Preview
Other than odds listings, the best probable indicator of success stems from digging into a horse's lineage.
Given how far these horses have to travel, it comes as little surprise to learn there are a few in particular who seem built for the long jaunt at Belmont Park. My Afleet and Rum Tum Tugger were sired by 2005 Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes champion Afleet Alex.
But My Afleet has raced only once all year in an allowance race at Laurel Park in April, while Rum Tum Tugger finished fourth in his last start in August 2015 at the John's Call at Saratoga Race Course—a race won by Gold Cup entrant Da Big Hoss.
Sired by 1999 Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid, Da Big Hoss won his last start at the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes in April and is in fine competitive shape. He has raced three times this year, including a victory at the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup in January.
The Elkhorn showed how Da Big Hoss was able to successfully navigate a 1 ½-mile trek and take direction from jockey Florent Geroux, who praised the horse afterward.
"He put me exactly where I wanted, saving ground," Geroux said, per the Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee. "It made the difference today. My horse kicked home very nicely."
Kaigun finished only a half-length behind Da Big Hoss in that race and was sixth in his last start at the Grade 1 Man O' War Stakes, so he shouldn't be discounted, either, especially since jockey Joel Rosario won the 2014 Belmont Stakes aboard Tonalist.
Kaigun also logged five second-place finishes and a win in his six races prior to the Man O' War, including a triumph at the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes at 1 ½ miles. That justifies his stature as the No. 2 favorite in the morning-line odds.
Because Tobias is seven years old, his pedigree features a former Triple Crown champion more directly tied to him, as Blood-Horse contributor J. Keeler Johnson observed in his analysis:
Up With the Birds is a heavily raced horse with 22 starts. He has a Hall of Fame jockey in John Velazquez in the irons as well. The combination of an experienced rider and the ability to still compete after all these years bodes well for Up With the Birds' chances in the Belmont Gold Cup.
So there is no shortage of quality horses in the field for one of Friday's most notable races in Elmont. A strong case can be made for any of the aforementioned horses to win, be it based on pedigree, connections or prior recent results.
Oddsmakers like Now We Can and Twilight Eclipse, but the former is a boom-or-bust type of horse, while the latter has three third-place finishes and four out of the money since winning the 2015 Man O' War Stakes.
Da Big Hoss stands out most among the pack, having registered the highest Brisnet speed rating from his last race (94), ranking second to Kaigun in Brisnet's prime power and second in class, per Brisnet.com.
Although Kaigun should give a strong run and Up With the Birds will be a force to be reckoned with at two miles, Da Big Hoss has the best blend of skills, ancestry and accomplishment to endorse as the Gold Cup victor.
Stats, race history and pedigrees courtesy of HorseRacingNation.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
