The 4-year-old Bernardini colt, with Luis Saez up, posted splits of 24.02 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.78 for the half-mile with Mo Gotcha tracking from second and mutuel favorite Maxfield saving ground along the rail.

Maxfield and a wide-rallying Dr Post were in position to challenge through the stretch run, but Art Collector would not relinquish securing a 1 1/2-length victory. Art Collector covered the nine-furlongs in 1:49.22, garnering a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure.

Maxfield bested Dr Post by a length to complete the exacta with Code of Honor, the 2019 Grade 1 Runhappy Travers winner for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, settling for fourth.

Mott praised the improving Art Collector, who has now won a trio of nine-furlong events under his care, including the Alydar on August 6 at Saratoga Race Course and the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on Aug. 27.

“I would say he beat the best group of horses that he's beaten so far,” Mott said following Saturday's win. “They were the most established group. You knew it was a solid bunch. Shug's horse and Maxfield were good, solid individuals.”

Art Collector launched his career with trainer Tom Drury, posting wins last year in the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Ellis Park Derby. The talented bay missed the Kentucky Derby due to injury and finished off-the-board in the Grade 1 Preakness and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Art Collector was transferred to Mott following a sixth-place finish in his seasonal debut in the Kelly's Landing on June 25 at Churchill Downs

“He had done very well before. He was in good hands. The trainer did very well with him previously,” Mott said. “The fact that I was in New York and he was in Kentucky, I think that's why they wanted him here. Tommy Drury did a great job with this horse and we're reaping some of the benefits.”

Mott was also represented in Saturday's stakes action by Forza Di Oro, who finished fifth in the Woodward; and Chewing Gum, who closed to finish third in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational.

Leanna Willaford, Mott's Belmont-based assistant, said all three exited their efforts in good order.

“Art Collector ran great. It was a very gutty effort and he did everything right,” Willaford said. “He looked great this morning and is already on his way back up to Saratoga.”

Don Alberto Stable homebred Forza Di Oro, enjoyed a productive summer at Saratoga, registering a 101 Beyer in an optional-claiming win traveling nine-furlongs off a long layoff on July 21. The Speightstown chestnut followed with a pacesetting third in the 10-furlong G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 4.

Willaford said the 4-year-old might appreciate a turn back in distance.

“That's a thought. We might have to regroup with him,” Willaford said. “It looked like with his win up at Saratoga that he was going to go on, but he is a Speightstown.”

Wachtel Stable, Pantofel Stable and Jerold Zaro's Chewing Gum has hit the board in all three Belmont starts this year, finishing second in a seven-furlong optional-claimer in his seasonal debut in May ahead of a closing second behind stablemate Casa Creed in the G1 Jackpocket Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day.

On Saturday, the 6-year-old Candy Ride bay closed from sixth to finish third, 1 3/4-lengths to front-running winner Arrest Me Red.

“He ran hard again. He's shown up in every race here this year, but he just hasn't got to the wire first,” Willaford said. “He needs the speed to come back a little bit, but that didn't happen yesterday.”

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The Woodward is one of two Grade 1, $500,000 events on Saturday's card along with the Champagne for 2-year-olds running one mile in a prestigious race, affording a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile to the winner. The lucrative card is bolstered by the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the grass along with the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for juvenile fillies.

Previously held at Saratoga Race Course, the Woodward was inaugurated in 1954 at Belmont Park and also was run several times at Aqueduct before being moved to Saratoga.

Maxfield, who boasts a consistent 9-7-1-1 record with over $1.45 million in earnings, arrives off a runner-up effort to Knicks Go in the Grade 1 Whitney on August 7 at Saratoga. Trainer Brendan Walsh saddled the 4-year-old son of Street Sense to back-to-back scores in the Alysheba [105 Beyer] on April 30 and Stephen Foster [103 Beyer] on June 26, both Grade 2 events at Churchill Downs.

A winner on debut going a one-turn mile in September 2019 at Churchill Downs, Maxfield became a Grade 1 winner in his second career start when capturing the Breeders' Futurity going two turns at Keeneland, where he made up nearly ten lengths from ninth to win by 5 ½ lengths – his largest margin of victory to date.

Walsh said earning a Grade 1 triumph as an older horse is crucial for Maxfield.

“It's absolutely important, especially with a horse like him, who we always thought would get better as he gets older,” Walsh said. “For his stallion career and everything, it would be very important to get a Grade 1 win in him this year.”

Lightly raced for a horse of his level, Maxfield has done the bulk of his racing this year having raced a cumulative four times at ages two and three, all of which were wins. He kicked off a successful year with a 3 ¼-length win in the Grade 3 Mineshaft in February at Fair Grounds before suffering his first loss in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap three weeks later.

“I think it all has helped. Thinking back at this point last year, this horse had only run three times in his career and he was about to turn four,” Walsh said. “We've always been on the back foot as far as seasoning and racing experience goes. I think we saw an advance on him in the Whitney because he ran right through the wire, which I was pleased to see him do. It all bodes well for the races ahead.”

Walsh expressed no concern with cutting back to one-turn from the two-turn Whitney.

“I think it suits him if anything,” Walsh said. “He should love the sweeping turns here. He seems to run his turns very well, which is probably the strongest part of his races. A big horse like him with a big stride on him, I can't see why it wouldn't be to his advantage more than anything.”

Walsh, who previously worked for Godolphin as an assistant trainer in Dubai, spoke volumes of the world-class breeding and racing operation.

“They've been a big influence on my career,” Walsh said. “It's just a privilege to train for them and an even greater privilege to have a horse of this caliber for them in such a great year. Hopefully, we can keep it going for the next couple of months and make it even better.”

Maxfield will race with blinkers on for the Woodward, and will be piloted by regular rider Jose Ortiz from post 2.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle a pair of top contenders in Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector and Don Alberto Stable's Forza Di Oro.

Art Collector has matched up 103 Beyers in his last two starts at nine furlongs, capturing the Alydar on August 6 at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on August 27. A seven-time winner from 14 starts, Art Collector has banked more than $1.2 million. Art Collector is a 4-year-old son of Bernardini, who sired previous Woodward victors To Honor and Serve [2012] and Alpha [2013].

Art Collector burst onto the scene during his sophomore campaign with victories in the Grade 2 Blue Grass last July at Keeneland and the Ellis Park Derby one month later for his former trainer Tommy Drury, Jr.

Art Collector arrives off a half-mile breeze in 49.49 seconds on September 25 over the Oklahoma training track.

“He looked good and smooth in his last work,” said Mott, who previously won the Woodward with Hall of Famer Cigar [1995-96], To Honor and Serve [2012] and Yoshida [2018]. “He's made no mistakes so far. He looks great and the horse is doing very well. We're very pleased with him.”

Forza Di Oro, a 4-year-old Speightstown chestnut, sports a ledger of 7-4-1-1 led by a score in the Grade 3 Discovery in November at the Big A. Last out, Forza Di Oro finished a pacesetting third in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 4 at Saratoga.

“It could have been the distance. We were concerned about that going in,” Mott said. “He's capable of a different running style. We'll leave that up to the jock.”

Luis Saez returns aboard Art Collector from post 3, while Junior Alvarado will ride Forza Di Oro from post 6.

A victory from dual Grade 1-winner Code of Honor would give the Farish family their first Woodward win since Mineshaft in 2003. Last out, the 5-year-old homebred son of Noble Mission made his first start off a seven-month layoff a triumphant one in capturing the Grade 3 Phillip H. Iselin on August 21 at Monmouth Park, garnering a 105 Beyer.

Code of Honor boasts field-best lifetime earnings in excess of $2.8 million through a 17-7-4-2 record, highlighted by 2019 triumphs in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup during his 3-year-old season.

“He's training as good as he could – as good as I've ever seen him,” McGaughey said. “I think two turns is probably better, but the mile and an eighth is fine. I think the way he's training right now, he's sharp and he'll be laying in the right spot to wait and make a move.”

Paco Lopez, aboard for his last out Iselin score, will return to the irons from post 5.

St. Elias Stable's Dr Post will attempt his first Grade 1 victory for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The son of 2010 Woodward winner Quality Road arrives off a third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on August 21 at Del Mar, where he considerably advanced position in the last two points of call coming from seventh to complete the trifecta. Piloted by Joel Rosario, Dr Post appeared to be losing considerable ground around the far turn.

“In the middle part of the race, he sort of backed up on us and came with a good solid late run,” Pletcher said. “Joel seemed to think that maybe he was struggling with the track a little bit in the middle part of the race for some reason. He seemed to get a hold of it well late in the race, but just put himself in a tough spot with too much to do. It wasn't a bad race by any means.”

Dr Post displayed a successful seasonal commencement when capturing the Grade 3 Westchester at Belmont on May 1 before taking the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 17 two starts later.

Dr Post will race with blinkers in the Woodward, as he did in his previous two starts.

“After the first time, I thought they moved him up quite a bit, but they didn't seem to have the same effect the second time, or at least the middle part of the race,” Pletcher said. “We'll leave them on to keep him focused.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., who piloted Dr Post to his first stakes win in the Unbridled last April at Gulfstream Park and a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes last year, will be reunited with the four-time winner from the inside post.

Completing the field is Knight R.B. Stables' Mo Gotcha, a five-time winning 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo. Trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul claimed Mo Gotcha two starts back for $40,000 following a victory via disqualification on September 2 at the Spa and arrives off a third-place finish in his stakes debut in the Grand Prix American Jockey Club on September 18.

Returning pilot Jalon Samuel will ride from post 4.

The Woodward is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

The prestigious event for older horses honors William Woodward, who was chairman of the Jockey Club 1930-50. Woodward also owned Bel Air Stud who campaigned father-son Triple Crown-winning pair of Gallant Fox and Omaha. Since its inception, the Woodward has been won by all-time greats Sword Dancer [1959-60], Kelso [1961-63], Buckpasser [1966], Damascus [1967] and Forego, who won four consecutive runnings from 1974-77. More recent prominent winners of the Woodward include Skip Away [1998], Mineshaft [2003], Ghostzapper [2004], Saint Liam [2005], Curlin [2008], Rachel Alexandra [2009], Havre de Grace [2011] and Gun Runner [2017] whose Woodward victories would help cement Horse of the Year honors in their respective years.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said he was pleased with the effort in which the 4-year-old English Channel bay stalked from fourth before closing six-wide to secure the win under Julien Leparoux.

“I thought it was a very good effort. When she's going to the front, it's like poetry in motion,” Mott said.

War Like Goddess, a $30,000 purchase at the OBS June 2019 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, has won 6-of-7 starts. She entered from a trio of graded scores under Leparoux, comprising the 11-furlong Grade 3 Orchid in March at Gulfstream Park, the 12-furlong Grade 3 Bewitch in April at Keeneland Race Course, and the 12-furlong Grade 2 Glens Falls on August 7 over the Spa inner turf.

While most of her previous efforts have come from further off the pace, War Like Goddess was in closer attendance on Saturday. Mott said he didn't provide any specific instructions.

“I wanted her to be wherever the jockey thought she was comfortable,” Mott said. “She ran well. There's only so much you can say about it. She's a winner.”

In victory, War Like Goddess secured a “Win and You're In” berth to the 11-furlong Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Del Mar.

Don Alberto Stable's Forza Di Oro, a 4-year-old Speightstown chestnut, set the pace in Saturday's Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup before fading to third.

“He ran a good race. No excuse,” Mott said.

The lightly-raced homebred, who won the Grade 3 Discovery in November at Aqueduct, was making just his second start of the year out of a winning nine-furlong effort at Saratoga on July 21.

Mott said the nine-furlong $500,000 Grade 1 Woodward on October 2 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., is a possible target.

“He hasn't had many races, so I wouldn't be opposed to running him,” Mott said.

Forza Di Oro boasts a record of 7-4-1-1 with purse earnings of $309,375.

Wachtel Stable, Pantofel Stable, and Jerold Zaro's Baby Yoda garnered a 114 Beyer for an impressive 4 1/4-length score Saturday over well-regarded stablemate Olympiad, a $700,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase who bested eventual graded-stakes placed Caddo River and eventual multiple graded stakes winner Greatest Honour at Saratoga last September.

With Jose Ortiz up, Baby Yoda settled in second position as Ducale set splits of :21.54 and :44.08 in the 6 1/2-furlong allowance sprint. Baby Yoda pressed into contention from the three-path in the turn and took command at the quarter pole en route to a swift win in 1:14.33 under a hand ride.

Mott said the effort was an eye-opener.

“I was pretty amazed, really. I was pretty impressed with his effort. I can honestly say, I didn't expect that, but I was pleased to see it,” Mott said. “It was exciting, actually, because I thought there was a pretty good horse in there that he beat that ran second.”

Olympiad garnered a 105 Beyer, besting Ducale by six lengths to complete the exacta.

Bred in Florida by Kathleen Amaya, Alexandro Centofanti, and Raffaele Centofanti, Baby Yoda won on debut for his former trainer, Charles Frock, in a $10,000 maiden-claiming sprint on May 30 at Pimlico.

Baby Yoda was purchased privately following a third-place finish in an optional-claiming sprint in June at Pimlico and transferred to Mott, who saddled the dark bay to a 1 1/4-length starter allowance win against older horses on July 17 traveling six furlongs at the Spa.

Mott said he has not picked out a target yet for Baby Yoda and was not ready to make a statement on whether the 3-year-old Prospective gelding might suit a race like the six-furlong $250,000 Grade 2 Vosburgh on October 9 at Belmont, or attempt to stretch out.

“I'm not guessing that right now. He looks pretty fast. It's a little too soon to think about it,” Mott said.

The Hall of Fame trainer didn't have to guess at the speedster's namesake, a character from the Star Wars Disney+ original television series The Mandalorian.

“I had to google Baby Yoda to figure out who he was,” Mott admitted.

Mott will saddle LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's High Oak in Monday's $300,000 Grade 1 Hopeful, a seven-furlong sprint for juveniles on Closing Day of the 40-day Spa summer meet.

The Gormley bay graduated on debut in June at Belmont and followed with a 4 1/4-length score in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite on August 14.

While Mott was initially pointing High Oak to the $500,000 Grade 1 Champagne, a one-turn mile on October 2 at Belmont, the veteran conditioner said he was training too well to skip Monday's test.

“He's feeling really good and I just felt that rather than train him, we'd run him,” Mott said.

High Oak blew out three-eighths in :35.44 seconds Friday on the Oklahoma dirt training track. The $70,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase will exit post 8 under Junior Alvarado.

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The field of six broke cleanly, with Forza Di Oro, seeking his first Grade 1 win, taking a short lead as Max Player and Santana stalked him on the outside. Around the first turn, Forza Di Oro stretched his lead out to a length, but, after fractions of :24.05 for the first quarter and :48.70 for the first half-mile, Max Player began to press the leader, shortening the margin between them to a neck. Into the far turn, Forza Di Oro was still neck to the good, with Max Player and Happy Saver poised to challenge on the outside.

In the stretch, Max Player pulled even with Forza Di Oro, but the former leader began to tire as Santana asked Max Player to go, easily taking over the lead in the race's final furlongs. The margin of victory was six lengths, Happy Saver passing Forza Di Oro in the final yards to take over second. Night Ops was fourth, with Chess Chief and Forewarned rounding out the field.

The final time for the 1 1/4 miles was 2:02.49 over a fast track. Find this race's chart here.

Max Player paid $9.60, $4.70, and $2.60. Happy Saver paid $3.80 and $2.20. Forza Di Oro paid $2.10 to show.

The G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, new to Saratoga for 2021, is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series. The winner gets a fees-paid guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, to be held Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“It was beautiful. Max, in the [Grade 1] Suburban [victory], ran that race under different circumstances on an off track. For him to do this on a fast track in the Jockey Club Gold Cup here at Saratoga, it is very satisfying. This is who he is, and I thought it was a dominating win,” trainer Steve Asmussen said after the race.

“I was happy with him,” Santana told the NYRA Press Office after the Gold Cup. “Today, he broke good, so I was really happy with it. The trainer is doing all the [work].”

Bred in Kentucky by K and G Stables, Max Player is out of the Not For Love mare Fools In Love, a black-type stakes winner. Owned by George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds, the 4-year-old was a $150,000 RNA consigned by Lane's End at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup is Max Player's second win in four starts in 2021 for a lifetime record of four wins in 10 starts.

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Running a huge race after a disastrous start to be second at 31-1 in his unveiling, the homebred graduated next out, but took a major step backward when finishing eighth, beaten 24 1/4 lengths making his stakes debut in the GII Remsen S. Shelved for over 10 months, he returned last October at Belmont with a game 10-1 first-level allowance score and announced himself as a horse to watch in 2021 when closing out his sophomore season with a powerful 3 3/4-length success in Aqueduct's GIII Discovery S. He faced another setback, however, and went unseen until earlier this meet, returning with a three-length allowance/optional claiming victory in the Spa mud July 21.

Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver (Super Saver) will look to become the 11th horse to win back-to-back renewals of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which has been run since 1919. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' off a powerful 5 1/2-length debut victory last June at Belmont, the chestnut repeated by four lengths in a local allowance and stayed unbeaten with a conquest of the Federico Tesio S. at Pimlico. Rather than attempt the GI Preakness S., trainer Todd Pletcher took on elders in this event and Happy Saver rewarded his confidence with a hard-fought score over fellow 3-year-old and future G1 Dubai World Cup romper Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper). He made his 4-year-old bow with a workmanlike allowance/optional claiming tally May 28 at Big Sandy and ran third with a wide trip last out in the sloppy-track GII Suburban S. there July 3.

“I don't think he ran that badly on an off track last time,” Pletcher told the NYRA notes team. “The way the race unfolded going a mile and a quarter at Belmont and drawing the outside is never a good thing. I thought he ran well all things considered. He kept closing and it was his only his second start of the year, so hopefully he moves forward.”

Besting Happy Saver and Mystic Guide in the Suburban was 11-1 upsetter Max Player (Honor Code), who re-opposes here. An impressive winner of the GIII Withers S. last February, the dark bay ran third in both the GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. and was transferred from Linda Rice to the Steve Asmussen barn to check in fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Unable to make an impact in the G1 Saudi Cup or GIII Pimlico Special Match Series S., Max Player finally got back to the winner's circle with his resolute neck success in the Suburban.

Rounding out the major contenders is peaking Night Ops (Warrior's Reward) for the skyrocketing Brad Cox barn. Mostly a middling allowance horse for his first two seasons, he scored his first graded stakes win in last summer's GIII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. The bay hasn't found the mark in six starts this year, but has racked up four seconds and two thirds, all in stakes races, and is coming off a career-best 101 Beyer when runner-up to last Friday's GII Charles Town Classic hero Art Collector (Bernardini) in the restricted Alydar S. here Aug. 6.

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The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

Since its inception in 1919, the Jockey Club Gold Cup has been one of the most prestigious events on New York's racing calendar, won by Hall of Famers Man o' War [1920], Hill Prince [1950], Sword Dancer [1959], Buckpasser [1966], Damascus [1967], Forego [1974], John Henry [1981], Easy Goer [1989], and Cigar [1995].

The great Kelso won the Jockey Club Gold Cup a record five straight years from 1960-64. Nine Kentucky Derby winners have won the prized event, including Triple Crown winners Gallant Fox [1930], Whirlaway [1942], Citation [1948] and Affirmed [1979]. Contested at Belmont Park from 1975-20, the historic event was moved to Saratoga for the first time this year.

Happy Saver, a son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, will attempt to become the 11th horse to win back-to-back runnings of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, joining Hall of Famers Nashua [1955-56], Shuvee [1970-71], Slew o' Gold [1983-84], Skip Away [1996-97] and Curlin [2007-08]. The most recent horse to secure this task was Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist [2014-15].

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Happy Saver was undefeated when taking last year's Jockey Club Gold Cup, engaging in a dramatic stretch duel with Mystic Guide [the subsequent winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup] in his first start at graded stakes level. The 4-year-old chestnut colt arose from a seven-month hiatus in style, capturing a one-turn mile allowance optional claiming event on May 28 at Belmont Park in tactical fashion.

Happy Saver finished third last out in the 10-furlong Grade 2 Suburban contested on a sloppy and sealed main track on July 3 at Belmont, finishing 2 3/4-lengths back of returning rival Max Player.

“I don't think he ran that badly on an off track last time,” Pletcher said. “The way the race unfolded going a mile and a quarter at Belmont and drawing the outside is never a good thing. I thought he ran well all things considered. He kept closing and it was his only his second start of the year, so hopefully he moves forward.”

Through a record of 6-5-0-1, Happy Saver has accumulated earnings $374,200. A Kentucky homebred, Happy Saver is out of the stakes-placed Distorted Humor Mare Happy Week. A direct descendant of prolific broodmare Gay Missile, Happy Saver comes from the same extended family as champion and influential stallion A.P. Indy as well as American classic winners Summer Squall and Lemon Drop Kid.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., the pilot in all six lifetime starts, retains the mount from post 4.

George E. Hall and Sport BLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player arrives off a victory against Happy Saver in the Grade 2 Suburban, which he won at 11-1 odds for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The son of third-crop sire Honor Code battled gamely with Mystic Guide down the Belmont stretch and came out a neck on top while garnering a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Off the board in his four efforts prior to the Suburban, Max Player was a distant third to New York-bred hero Tiz the Law in both the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers last year.

“He's coming off a nice win in the Suburban,” said Asmussen assistant Scott Blasi. “It was nice to see him step up again and run to his ability. This is a logical spot to run him back. He's done well up here, so we'll see how it goes.”

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will retain the mount from post 2.

Don Alberto Stables' Forza Di Oro brings three straight wins to his first Grade 1 engagement, arriving off a sharp three-length victory in his seasonal debut for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The 4-year-old chestnut son of Speightstown, who sired 2010 winner Haynesfield, earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure when defeating allowance optional claiming company traveling nine furlongs on July 21 over a muddy and sealed Saratoga main track off an eight-month layoff. He recorded the same figure capturing the nine-furlong Grade 3 Discovery on November 28 at Aqueduct in his previous start.

The lightly-raced Forza Di Oro has breezed four times at Saratoga out of his optional-claiming win, including a half-mile breeze in 49.95 seconds on August 29 over the Oklahoma dirt training track.

“I've been pleased with his works, visually,” said Mott, who trained Ron the Greek [2013], Flat Out [2012] and Cigar [1995] to Jockey Club Gold Cup scores. “He's indicating that he needs to be tried in that good company. Knock on wood, we have three days to go so we're hoping to get him over there in good shape.”

Mott is cautiously optimistic about Forza Di Oro's ability to handle the stretch out in distance.

“So far, he hasn't indicated that he can't handle it,” Mott said.

Jockey Junior Alvarado, the rider in all six lifetime starts, will be back aboard from post 1.

Trainer Dallas Stewart will saddle Chess Chief in attempt of his second graded stakes victory this season.

Owned by The Estate of James J. Coleman, Jr., the 5-year-old son of leading sire Into Mischief captured the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic under returning rider Luis Saez on March 20 at Fair Grounds in his most recent victory.

“We feel good about it. He's trained very well up here,” Stewart said. “He's a come-from-behind type of horse so we're just going to let Luis do his thing.”

Saez, the Saratoga meet's leading rider in overall wins and stakes victories, will vie for his third Grade 1 triumph of the meet from post 3.

After capturing the Grade 1 Whitney and Grade 1 Runhappy Travers this meet, Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox will look to end Saratoga on a high note when sending out Night Ops for his Grade 1 debut.

Owned by Steve Landers, the 5-year-old bay son of Warrior's Reward has finished in the money in 11 of his last dozen starts, dating back to a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming triumph in November 2019 at Churchill Downs, besting subsequent graded stakes winner Pirate's Punch.

A winner of the Essex at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 3 Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows in 2020, Night Ops is still in search of his first victory this year but has garnered stakes black type in all six 2021 starts. He commenced his season when third to eventual Grade 1-winner Silver State in stakes company at Oaklawn ahead of four runner-up efforts, most recently in the Alydar on August 6 at the Spa finishing 1 ½ lengths behind Art Collector, who exited that effort to win the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic.

Night Ops boasts the highest bankroll in the field with earnings of $823,656 and a consistent record of 24-6-7-4.

Jockey Manny Franco seeks his second Jockey Club Gold Cup win from post 5.

Completing the field is owner-trainer Uriah St. Lewis' Forewarned, who enters off a close second against fellow Ohio-breds in the Best of Ohio Governor's Buckeye Cup on August 14 at Thistledown.

The eight-time winner and earner of over a half-million dollars will attempt to give St. Lewis a second victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup after scoring a 45-1 upset in the 2018 running with Discreet Lover. Forewarned will also look to give his dual Jockey Club Gold Cup-winning sire Flat Out his first offspring to win the race. The last Jockey Club Gold Cup winner to sire a winner of the race was Nashua, the father of prominent distaffer and fellow Hall of Famer Shuvee.

Jockey Sonny Leon ships in to ride from post 6.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is slated as the closing race on Saturday's 12-race program, which also features the Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational, a “Win And You're In” qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. The stakes-laden card is bolstered by the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress for sophomore fillies going six furlongs, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac for 3-year-olds colts at 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic this fall at Del Mar.

The colt has only started six times in his career. Forza Di Oro broke his maiden in his second start as a juvenile, then ran a disappointing eighth in the G2 Remsen. Mott brought him back off a 10-month layoff to win an allowance race and the G3 Discovery last fall, the latter with a 101 Beyer figure, but the colt went back to the sidelines for another eight months.

Forza Di Oro's allowance win was his fourth from six starts, and improved his earnings to $209,375.

“Bill is a Hall of Famer,” Don Alberto stable manager Matt Hogan told the TDN. “This is what he does. He's phenomenal at that. A big horse like this, as Bill said, he's been a little bit of a project, but any little setback is obviously poorly timed. Giving him the time off and bringing him back this year, he just seemed a big, happy, fresh, sound animal that was ready to get out there and rock and roll when we put him back under tack here at the farm. To bring a horse off such a long layoff– yet again to such an impressive performance–just goes to show the capabilities of Bill and his team.”

Out of the graded stakes-placed Hard Spun mare Filare l'Oro, Forza Di Oro is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Silver Dust from the family of Grade 1 winners Stop Traffic and Cross Traffic.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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The lightly raced 4-year-old, a disappointing eighth in the GII Remsen S. in his juvenile finale, has been perfect in three starts since. The Don Alberto homebred was two-for-two in an abbreviated 2020 campaign, capped by a win with a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure in the GIII Discovery S. at Aqueduct Nov. 28.

“Bill [Mott] has always thought so much of the horse and he and his team have done a phenomenal job getting him back to the races,” Don Alberto racing manager Matt Hogan said. “Bill picked that allowance race–if he was going to run as well as we all hoped and expected him to–the timing fit for the Jockey Club Gold Cup. And that was what Bill and I spoke about beforehand, depending on the race, of course, that it would be the most logical step because Bill has always thought so highly of him.”

Making his first start in nine months going 1 1/8 miles in the Saratoga mud, Forza Di Oro traveled kindly in second beneath Junior Alvarado, made his move to gain command approaching the quarter pole, and took care of business from there to score by a much-the-best three lengths at odds of 8-5. He received a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, his fourth career win from six starts.

Patience continues to pay off and Mott and his team deserve all the credit, per Hogan.

“Bill is a Hall of Famer,” Hogan said. “This is what he does. He's phenomenal at that. A big horse like this, as Bill said, he's been a little bit of a project, but any little setback is obviously poorly timed. Giving him the time off and bringing him back this year, he just seemed a big, happy, fresh, sound animal that was ready to get out there and rock and roll when we put him back under tack here at the farm. To bring a horse off such a long layoff– yet again to such an impressive performance–just goes to show the capabilities of Bill and his team.”

Forza Di Oro's stakes-winning and graded-stakes placed dam– Filare l'Oro (Hard Spun)–brought $410,000 from Don Alberto in foal to Tapit at the 2013 KEENOV sale. That produce, the $270,000 KEESEP yearling turned $510,000 OBSMAR 2-year-old Silver Dust (Tapit), has captured four graded stakes victories and is closing in on seven figures in earnings. The 12-year-old is currently carrying a full sibling to Forza Di Oro. Forza Di Oro, a $325,000 RNA as a FTSAUG yearling, hails from the extended female family of GISWs Stop Traffic (Cure the Blues), Cross Traffic (Unbridled's Song), et al.

“Bill said he came out of the race in good shape and that's all we can ask and hope for,” Hogan concluded. “We'll see how he progresses and moves forward before anything gets decided, but the [Jockey Club Gold Cup] is the idea, though.”

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Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the Speightstown chestnut arrived at the Discovery from a narrow victory in a 1 1/16-mile first-level allowance on Oct. 9 at Belmont Park, where he registered a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Forza Di Oro broke sharply from post 3 in the five-horse field and was taken back and edged to the rail by jockey Junior Alvarado, as post-time favorite and dual stakes winner Monday Morning Qb led the field into the first turn through an opening quarter of 23.43 seconds with 24-1 longshot Ralston tracking one path to the outside in second over the fast main track.

Alvarado had a tight hold on Forza Di Oro, who was just to the outside of multiple-stakes placed Attachment Rate as Monday Morning Qb produced an easy half-mile in 47.53.

Around the far turn, Forza Di Oro still sought racing room but found an opening a few jumps past the quarter-pole in pursuit of the front end. Forza Di Oro collared Monday Morning Qb at the eighth pole and drew off to a 3 ¾ length victory in a time of 1:50.03.

Monday Morning Qb, with Dylan Davis up, held off a late-charge from two-time graded stakes winner Shared Sense, who finished third. Attachment Rate and Ralston completed the order of finish.

Fresh off a successful Friday at the Big A with two stakes victories, Alvarado said he was satisfied with the trip.

“I was pretty happy the whole way around. I knew what I had underneath and whatever position I was in, he'd be there for me. He makes my job easier,” said Alvarado, who has piloted the horse in all five of his lifetime starts. “He broke nicely today and after that he put me in the spot where we wanted to be. I was a passenger the whole way around. He was just waiting for me to give him the green light when we turned for home. It was the first time for him being on the inside like that and when we started moving forward, he hesitated a little bit, but after a few jumps, he knew what to do and went by the other horse.”

Alvarado added that Forza Di Oro's ability to switch leads was crucial.

“When he switches leads like he did today, he gives that next gear,” Alvarado said. “We'll keep working with him. He's a very talented horse. He's a horse that works very nice in the morning and we've been high on him since the beginning. He had to stop with some issues he had, but he came back very strong this year. Mentally, he still hasn't caught up with his body. He's a big guy with a nice, long stride but I think mentally, he still has to put it together.”

Banking $55,000 in victory, Forza Di Oro enhanced his lifetime earnings to $148,875 through a 5-3-1-0 record.

A Kentucky homebred, Forza Di Oro, who returned $8.30, provided his dam Filare l'Oro with her second graded stakes-winning progeny. The stakes-winning daughter of Hard Spun also produced three-time graded stakes winner Silver Dust.

While switching leads was to the winner's advantage, the same couldn't be said regarding the Butch Reid-trained Monday Morning Qb, who entered the Discovery from a victory in the Maryland Million Classic under Sheldon Russell on October 24 at Laurel Park.

“Butch said he tends to break a little slow the first two jumps,” Davis said. “I just did what Sheldon did in his last race and gave him a couple pops and he gets on the bridle. We got on the lead and he was aggressive, but he was doing good. He's a really big horse and it takes him a little bit to switch his leads, but I thought he still ran well. The other horse was just a little bit better today.”

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a 10-race card, highlighted by the Grade 3, $100,000 Fall Highweight Handicap for 3-year-olds and upward going six furlongs over the main track; the $100,000 Tepin for juvenile fillies going 1 1/16 miles over the turf; and the $100,000 Autumn Days for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward going six furlongs on the turf. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

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Very alertly into stride for Junior Alvarado, the Don Alberto homebred fell into the perfect spot, as Monday Morning Qb (Imagining) set a strong pace from longshot Ralston (Tapiture) to his outside. Attachment Rate (Hard Spun) did it toughest three wide punching the breeze, while Shared Sense (Street Sense) was content to monitor things from last. Shuffled back a spot racing into the final three furlongs, though still traveling very much like a winner, Forza Di Oro went on the attack when Ralston drifted out a path in upper stretch and, despite racing on his incorrect lead into the final eighth of a mile, came away to a convincing victory. Monday Morning Qb was not disgraced in second, while Shared Sense was forced to cover a bit of ground on the turn and came home a one-paced third.

A maiden winner at second asking going Belmont’s one-turn 8 1/2-furlong trip last Oct. 26, Forza Di Oro beat just one home as an 11-2 chance in the GII Remsen S. Dec. 7 and went missing. He belied odds of 10-1 to score by a neck in his Oct. 9 allowance comebacker in Elmont and though he had his fair share of backers Saturday, was the fourth choice in the field of five.

Pedigree Notes:

Don Alberto Corporation acquired Forza Di Oro’s SW & GSP dam for $410,000 in foal to Tapit at Keeneland November in 2013, and the colt she was carrying at the time became Silver Dust, a three-time graded winner of over $885,000. Filare l’Oro is a half-sister to multiple Korean champion Cheongdam Dokki (To Honor and Server) as well as MGSW Gouldings Green (Charismatic), and the further female family includes MGISW Stop Traffic (Cure the Blues), the dam of GISW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Cross Traffic (Unbridled’s Song) and MSW Thirteen Arrows (Indian Charlie). Filare l’Oro is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by the late Empire Maker and most recently returned to Speightstown, who is now the sire of 119 worldwide black-type winners and 58 graded/group winners. Forza Di Oro is the 21st SW and 9th GSW produced by a daughter of Hard Spun.

Saturday, Aqueduct
DISCOVERY S.-GIII, $97,000, Aqueduct, 11-28, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.03, ft.
1–FORZA DI ORO, 118, c, 3, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Filare l’Oro (SW & GSP, $185,100), by Hard Spun
2nd Dam: Elusive Gold, by Strike the Gold
3rd Dam: Save My Soul, by I’ma Hell Raiser
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($325,000
RNA Ylg ’18 FTSAUG). O-Don Alberto Stable; B-Don Alberto
Corporation (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $55,000.
Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $148,875. *1/2 to Silver Dust (Tapit),
MGSW, $885,677. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Monday Morning Qb, 120, c, 3, Imagining–How My Heart
Works, by Not For Love. ($25,000 Ylg ’18 EASOCT). O-Cash is
King LLC & LC Racing LLC; B-Bowman & Higgins Stable & Cary
Frommer (MD); T-Robert E. Reid, Jr. $20,000.
3–Shared Sense, 124, c, 3, Street Sense–Collective, by
Bernardini. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $12,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 3.15, 1.85, 2.55.
Also Ran: Attachment Rate, Ralston.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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