Tizway Will Miss the Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup

Tizway is out of next Saturday’s $750,000 Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont.

A winner of Saratoga’s Whitney and Belmont’s Metropolitan Handicap in his last two starts, he would have been the likely favorite in the race.

The son of Tiznow spiked a fever on Thursday, so his scheduled breeze on the Oklahoma training track for Friday had to be cancelled.

Trainer James Bond said that Tizway spiked a fever Thursday and was lethargic, and it would be hard in this condition for the 6-year-old horse to run in the Gold Cup and then again in the Breeders’ Cup Classic a month later.

Bond also confirmed that the ultimate goal is to run Tizway in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on November 5.

Tizway had won two straight Grade I races—the Metropolitan Handicap on May 30 and the Whitney Handicap on August 6—and jumped to the forefront as a leading contender for Horse of the Year honors.

Now the arguments will shift towards Tizway’s fitness and the alleged distance limitations he has.

Before the nine-furlong Whitney, Tizway had run longer than a mile-and-an-eighth just once in his 20-race career. That was at last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup, when he finished third to Haynesfield.

The three-month layoff should not present a problem.

Tizway won the Met Mile on May 30, 44 days after finishing third in the Charles Town Classic, and posted a 113 Beyer Speed Figure. He posted a 111 Beyer while winning the Whitney 68 days later.

You could also consider the previous big win of his career, the Grade II Kelso last year. He won it after being out four months. But the layoff then was because an injury sidelined him. To me, it made it more remarkable.

If you are looking for precedent, go back five years. Tizway could emulate Invasor, who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs after being sidelined for three months. He also had to miss the Jockey Club Gold Cup due to a high temperature.