Suburban Stakes (G2) winner Dynamic One headlines the 1 1/4-mile, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at historic Saratoga Race Course, as the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series continues this Saturday live on NBC and Peacock at 4:30 p.m. ET, with automatic starting position into the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on the line.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup broadcast is the fifth program this year in the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” on NBC, Peacock, and CNBC from some of North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 39th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 4-5. The complete series TV schedule can be accessed here and the NBC Sports programming schedule can be found here.
Saturday's 90-minute program will also include coverage of the $600,000 Flower Bowl Stakes (G2), which will provide the winner an automatic berth into the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).
NBC Sports' coverage will feature commentary and discussion led by Randy Moss and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, winner of 15 Breeders' Cup races including five victories in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, reporter Kenny Rice, and handicapper Matt Bernier.
Dynamic One, a 4-year-old colt owned by Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable, has won his last two starts. He captured the 1 1/8-mile listed Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 4. He started next in the 1 1/4-mile Suburban at Belmont Park on July 9, and in a furious stretch drive defeated First Captain by a nose, with stablemate Untreated finishing three-quarters of a length back in third.
Commenting on the improvement of Dynamic One, trainer Todd Pletcher said: “He's made steady progress throughout this year. I think each race has been better than the previous one, culminating with a win in the Suburban. We've been pointing for The Jockey Club since then and has had a good schedule. The horse has trained well and we're happy with the way he's coming into the race.”
Pletcher's Grade 1-winning starter in the Gold Cup is CHC Inc and WinStar Farm LLC's 4-year-old Americanrevolution, who won last year's Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct. This year, the son of Constitution finished fourth in the Blame Stakes and was second to Olympiad in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs on July 2.
The fourth Pletcher starter is Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith, and Spendthrift Farm LLC's 4-year-old Keepmeinmind, who returned from an 11-month layoff and won his first race for the seven-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, taking a 1 1/8-mile allowance race by 2 ¾ lengths at Saratoga on July 22. Keepmeinmind finished second by a half-length to eventual 3-year-old champion Essential Quality in last year's Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga.
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey has four career Jockey Club Gold Cup winners. On Saturday, he sends out West Point Thoroughbreds, Siena Farm LLC, Bobby Flay, and Woodford Racing, LLC's First Captain, who has two wins in four starts this year. Prior to his second-place finish in the Suburban, First Captain, a son of 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Curlin, captured the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special (G3) at Pimlico Race Course on May 20.
Olympiad, trained by Bill Mott, earned an automatic berth in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic when he won the Stephen Foster Stakes, which was his fifth consecutive win of the year. Owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable LLC, and LNJ Foxwoods, Olympiad's winning streak ended when he finished fourth in the Whitney Stakes on Aug. 6.
In the 1 3/16-mile Flower Bowl, George Krikorian's five-year-old mare War Like Goddess will be a prohibitive favorite against six rivals. The defending Flower Bowl champion, War Like Goddess has won both her starts this year for trainer Bill Mott, taking the Bewitch Stakes (G3) at Keeneland in April and the Glens Falls Stakes (G2) at Saratoga on Aug. 6. Peter Brant's Virginia Joy (GER), won the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park in May, and finished third in the Glens Falls for trainer Chad Brown.
As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winners of The Jockey Club Gold Cup winner and The Flower Bowl to start in the World Championships. Breeders' Cup will also provide a $10,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of Kentucky to compete in the World Championships.
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