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Dominant Spinaway Winner Vequist Tops Field For ‘Win And You’re In’ Frizette

Vequist proved she could dominate a Grade 1 field when she cruised to a 9 1/2-length score in her stakes debut in the Spinaway on Sept. 6 at Saratoga Race Course. She will look to show similar form on Saturday against a talented field of juvenile fillies in the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette contested at one mile on Belmont Park's main track.

The 73rd running of the Frizette will award an automatic spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 6 at Keeneland. It also is one of five graded stakes on a stacked 11-race card at Belmont that includes the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl for fillies 3-years-old and up on the turf that is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf; the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne, a Breeders' Cup qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies on the turf. Highlighting the card will be the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and up with a spot in the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic awarded to the victor.

Gary Barber and Adam Wachtel purchased a 75 percent share from Swilcan Stable following Vequist's runner-up debut effort on July 29 at Parx when she ran a nose behind Niente. In her second start, the Butch Reid trainee was stretched out from 4 ½ furlongs to seven in the Spinaway. Off at 6-1, Vequist tracked in second position and powered home a huge winner, earning an 83 Beyer Speed Figure in picking up a prestigious Grade 1 at the Spa.

Since then, Vequist has continued to train at Parx, including a four-furlong work in 48.62 seconds on Sunday over the main track.

“She has to confirm it; anybody can do it once,” Reid said. “You have to do it a couple of times to really prove you belong at that level. But she jumped from 4 1/2 furlongs to seven-eighths and against Grade 1 company, so it was impressive, and I really liked the way she handled herself. We got up to Saratoga a couple of days ahead of time and she acted really great in the paddock. The way she acted was what impressed me more than anything else. She handled it like a seasoned, old racehorse.”

Vequist, the daughter of 2016 Kentucky Derby-winning Nyquist, will have her first chance at Belmont's Big Sandy track, drawing the inside post with Luis Saez aboard.

Reid said the one-turn mile could be beneficial and was the difference between going in the Frizette rather than the two-turn Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades which was contested on Oct. 2 at Keeneland.

“Even when she made her debut, it seemed like there was no limit to how far she'll go,” Reid said. “Her mother [Vero Amore] ran at a mile and an eighth and ran long, and so did Nyquist, so I think the further, the better with her. With two turns the Alcibiades was a pretty good prep for the Breeders' Cup, but this race fits her perfectly and we know she can handle the one-turn mile, so this seemed like the better way to go.

“Belmont is such a short ship for us, so we're keeping her comfortable,” Reid continued. “She rides the van very well, so I'm not worried about any of those kind of things.”

Stonestreet Stable's Cantata also is entered off a dominant victory, when she pulled away by 10 1/4 lengths in a debut effort in a 6 ½-furlong maiden sprint on Aug. 16 at Saratoga. The Medaglia d'Oro filly started training for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen with big expectations after being purchased for $950,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale and flashed that potential as she tracked in third position before powering home to the wire as the favorite last out.

Since the win, Cantata recorded four works at Saratoga before shipping to Belmont, where she breezed four furlongs in 50.54 seconds on Sunday over the training track.

“She's come in and done everything correctly,” said Asmussen assistant Toby Sheets. “She's quite the individual. We're looking forward to seeing her step up her game a little bit. She's a racehorse. She does her job and has it down.”
Joel Rosario will ride from post 2.

Team Hanley's Joy's Rocket is already a stakes winner, having crossed the wire first in the My Dear on Aug. 1 on Woodbine's all-weather track, which built on her debut win on June 28 over a sloppy and sealed Churchill Downs track.

Last out, Joy's Rocket was switched to turf in the Bolton Landing, where she showed her versatility by running second to Tobys Heart in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint on the grass. Asmussen will move her back to the main track, where she will tackle Big Sandy for the first time, drawing post 4 with Jose Ortiz drawing the assignment for the first time.

“She's also a filly that hasn't done anything wrong. She tries every time,” Sheets said. “I think she deserves a chance.”

Besides Vequist, the field's other graded stakes victor is Dayoutoftheoffice, who will look to go 3-for-3 after a debut victory in May at Gulfstream Park before a six-length triumph in the Grade 3 Schuylerville going six furlongs on July 16 at Saratoga.

Trained by Timothy Hamm, who co-owns the Into Mischief filly with breeder Siena Farm, Dayoutoftheoffice will ship from Thistledown to run at Belmont for the first time, drawing post 5 with Junior Alvarado getting the return assignment following her effort in the Schuylerville.

Reddham Racing's Get On the Bus will be making her third consecutive graded stakes appearance to start her career, which started with a second to My Girl Red in the Grade 2 Sorrento in August at Del Mar.

She was stretched out from six furlongs to seven next out in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 6, where she ran fourth. Trainer Doug O'Neill will now keep her at the highest caliber and see how she responds to a mile.

“She's doing really well,” O'Neill said. “I'm optimistic we'll see a strong performance.”

Jose Lezcano will be in the irons from post 6.

Paul Pompa, Jr.'s Fifth Risk, a first-out winner going six furlongs on Aug. 23 at the Spa, will make the step up for trainer Todd Pletcher, breaking from post 7 in tandem with Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Cilla, making her first start for trainer Bentley Combs after her first three starts for Brett Brinkman, broke her maiden at second asking on Aug. 13 at Delaware Park before running ninth last out in the Sorority on Sept. 7 on the Monmouth Park turf.

Kendrick Carmouche will ride from post 3.

Saturday's card will feature a 12:20 p.m. Eastern first post. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Civil Union Chasing Breeders’ Cup Berth In Saturday’s Flower Bowl

The top-four finishers in the Grade 2 Glens Falls last month at Saratoga Race Course will each vie for supremacy again in Saturday's rematch that highlights the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/4 miles on the Belmont Park inner turf.

Allen Stable's Civil Union, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, outkicked the Chad Brown trainee My Sister Nat by one length in the Glens Falls going 1 3/8 miles on Sept. 5. The two will renew acquaintances in the 43rd running of the Flower Bowl, which serves as a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

In total, Saturday's 11-race card features five graded stakes, including the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne, a Breeders' Cup qualifier for juveniles; the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette offering the same Breeders' Cup entry for juvenile fillies and the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies on the turf. Taking center stage will be the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and up with a spot in the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic awarded to the victor.

The only trainer besides Brown to capture the Flower Bowl since 2014 is McGaughey, who won with War Flag in 2017. Civil Union, a 5-year-old War Front mare, has won three in a row, starting with a 1 ¼-mile allowance tilt on the Belmont turf on June 21 before winning the River Memories on the same track going 1 1/2 miles on July 12.

“I think she's a nice filly and she's learned to put it all together,” McGaughey said. “We've been able to space her races in a good way and we'll see if she moves it up the next notch. She'll run as far as you want to run her.”

Originally trained by Brown, Civil Union is 3-0-1 in four starts in 2020 for McGaughey, with all of her efforts coming over firm turf.

“Most of the War Fronts like the firm turf,” McGaughey said. “I think she likes this big race track at Belmont, too. She liked Saratoga and ran good there, but I think everything is coming together with her and I'm hoping it comes together Saturday.”

Joel Rosario will have the call from post 3.

Peter Brant's My Sister Nat is one of three entrants for Brown, who has won five of the last six Flower Bowl runnings. The 5-year-old Acclamation mare, who was a group stakes winner in her native France before arriving in the United States in 2019, won her first graded stakes for Brown by edging Mrs. Sippy by a neck in the Grade 3 Waya going 1 1/2 miles on the Spa turf on Aug. 8. That effort netted her a personal-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure setting up her competitive second to Civil Union in her last start.

Out of the Galileo mare Starlet's Sister, his half-brother Sottsass captured the Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triumphe last weekend at France's Longchamp.
Jose Ortiz will ride My Sister Nat for the fifth consecutive race, breaking from post 2.

OXO Equine's Cambier Parc returned off an 11-month layoff to run second behind Rideforthecause in the Grade 2 Canadian going 1 1/8 miles on the Woodbine turf on Sept. 12.

The well-deserved rest leading into that race was given after a 2019 season in which she won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks one start after running third in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks. In October 2019, she followed with a victory in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, ending her year on a high note.

Cambier Parc will look to start her 4-year-old campaign 2-for-2, exiting the inside with Hall of Famer John Velazquez aboard.

Brown will also send out Irish-bred graded stakes winner in Nay Lady Lay, who enters off victories in the Grade 3 Matchmaker on July 18 at Belmont Park and the All Along on Sept. 7 at Laurel Park.

The 4-year-old No Nay Never filly, owned by First Row Partners and Hidden Brook Farm, is 5-1 in eight career starts. She ended her 2019 with her lone graded stakes win, rallying from seventh to win the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere in November at Churchill.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. picks up the mount from post 6.

Trainer Tom Albertrani will send out a pair of contenders in Mark Anderson's Beau Belle and Elizabeth Mateo's Lovely Lucky, who ran third and fourth, respectively, in the Glens Falls last out.

Beau Belle will be making her 24th career start. The 5-year-old Giant's Causeway daughter was third in her previous appearance at Belmont in the River Memories.

“She's training well and came out of the race fine,” Albertrani said. “Hopefully, we can just step up a little bit and make up a couple of lengths. She didn't get beat very far. She tries hard every time she runs and she's always right there.”

Beau Belle did not make her graded stakes debut until her 4-year-old year and in her 11th start overall. After winning her first start in her 15th career race in July 2019, Albertrani said she started to figure things out.

“It took her awhile to break her maiden but once she did, it looks like she just started going forward from there,” Albertrani said. “She's matured and she got a little older and a little better.”

Luis Saez will be in the irons on Saturday, drawing post 5.

Lovely Lucky broke her maiden at fifth asking – and in her second career turf start- in June 20 over the Belmont grass before besting allowance company going 1 3/8 miles on the Saratoga turf on July 24. After running fourth in her graded stakes debut in the Glens Falls, Jose Lezcano will retain the mount from post 7.

Lovely Lucky made her first three starts on the main track before Albertrani moved her to turf to start 2020. She has won two of four starts since, including a 6 3/4-length score against allowance company going 1 3/8 miles on July 24 at Saratoga.

“She's also doing well. Ever since we stretched her out, she's shown she can be a competitive filly in these longer races,” Albertrani said. “I thought she ran well in the Glens Falls. She was a bit keen early on, so hopefully Saturday she'll settle a little bit and hopefully make up more ground.

“She was really impressive her first start at Saratoga,” he added. “That race was an eye-opener. We put her in the deep end in the Glens Falls but she ran quite well and wasn't beaten that far.”

La Signare won the Grade 3 Wonder Again last year and was third in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on Sept. 5 at Churchill. Since taking over the training duties last fall, Brendan Walsh has conditioned the French bred to a win in the Sand Springs on March 28 at Gulfstream and a strong runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Mint Julep in May at Churchill Downs.

Manny Franco will be aboard La Signare from post 4.

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Jackie’s Warrior Puts His Undefeated Record On The Line In Champagne

J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior is a standout in the juvenile division with an unblemished record and will put his perfect resume on the line in Saturday's 148th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park for 2-year-old colts.

The Champagne is one of four Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifying events slated for Saturday's action-packed 11-race program and offers an automatic entry towards the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland. Other “Win And You're In” events scheduled for Saturday include the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for older horses going 1 ¼ miles on the main track [Classic]; the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette for juvenile fillies going one mile on the main track [Juvenile Fillies]; and the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl Invitational for fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles over the inner turf [Filly and Mare Turf]. Also featured on the card is the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies going one mile over the Widener turf.

Inaugurated in 1867, the Champagne has been a prominent event for young horses having seen a handful of Kentucky Derby winners score in the race during their 2-year-old season dating all the way back to Azra in 1891. Riva Ridge [1971], Foolish Pleasure [1974], Spectacular Bid [1978] as well as Triple Crown winners Count Fleet [1942] and Seattle Slew [1976] won the Champagne before becoming household names. The great Secretariat won the 1972 Champagne but was disqualified for interference with Stop the Music, who was subsequently awarded the victory. The Champagne has also been used as a steppingstone to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with horses like Fly So Free [1990], Timber Country [1994], War Pass [2007], Uncle Mo [2010] and Shanghai Bobby [2012] notching the Champagne-Breeders' Cup Juvenile double.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Jackie's Warrior arrives at the Champagne off a 2 ¼-length victory in the Grade 1 Runhappy Hopeful on Sept. 7 at Saratoga, where he registered a 95 Beyer Speed Figure – the highest number recorded by a 2-year-old this year. In his prior effort, the bay son of Maclean's Music won his stakes debut in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 7 at the Spa by three lengths after displaying stalking tactics in his debut at Churchill Downs, which he won by 2 ½ lengths.

Jackie's Warrior has been getting acclimated to Belmont Park, recently breezing a half-mile in 50.54 over the Belmont training track on Oct. 4.

“He handles everything well,” said Asmussen's Belmont Park-based assistant trainer Toby Sheets. “Just like his races are, that's how he is. He's done everything very professionally and he's very straightforward. I don't see the mile being an issue at all.”

Jockey Joel Rosario, who guided Practical Joke to a 2016 Champagne win, will return to the saddle from post 4.

Asmussen also will be represented by Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, who was a recent second in the Grade 3 Iroquois on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs going a one-turn mile.

“He came in on Saturday, had a little [three-furlong] blowout [in 39.22 seconds] here on Tuesday,” Sheets said. “He's another well-built, big horse. He's figuring it out a little bit, but he's been doing really well.”

The well-bred Midnight Bourbon is the fourth offspring out of the Malibu Moon mare Catch the Moon, whose other progeny are Grade 1-winner Girvin and graded stakes winners Pirate's Punch and Cocked and Loaded.

“Let's hope that trend continues,” Sheets said.

Midnight Bourbon will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 6.

Hopeful runner-up Reinvestment Risk will try and turn the tables on Jackie's Warrior while attempting to give trainer Chad Brown and owner Klaravich Stables their third Champagne victory.

The son of freshman sire Upstart dazzled in his career debut with a 7 ¾-length victory at the Spa over next-out winner Olympiad. He recorded a 90 Beyer in his debut, a figure which he replicated in his runner-up finish to Jackie's Warrior in the Hopeful.

“He's doing super. I'm looking forward to getting him out another furlong. He'll have no problem with more distance,” Brown said.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has been the pilot in both of the bay colt's lifetime starts and will return to the saddle from post 5.

Reddam Racing's Ambivalent is the lone maiden in the field but boasts stakes experience on the west coast for trainer Doug O'Neill.

The dark bay son of leading second-crop sire Constitution was recently third beaten a length over the grass in the one-mile Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 7.

Following a runner-up effort on debut on June 21 at Santa Anita, Ambivalent was beaten 1 ¼ lengths before being disqualified from third to fourth in the Grade 2 Best Pal on Aug. 8 at Del Mar.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the mount from post 1.

Rounding out the field are Run Casper Run [post 2, Jose Lezcano] and Civil War [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche].

The Champagne is slated as Race 4 on Saturday's 11-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Tacitus Will Face Four Rivals In Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup

Juddmonte Farms' three-time graded stakes-winning multimillionaire Tacitus will look to secure his first career Grade 1 triumph in Saturday's 102nd running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup going the classic distance of 1 ¼ miles at Belmont Park.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” qualifier offering an automatic entry into the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7 at Keeneland.

The prestigious race is one of five graded stakes on Saturday's action-packed program, which also includes three other “Win And You're In” qualifying events along with the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl for fillies and mares going 1 ¼ miles on the inner turf, offering a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf; the Grade 1, $300,000 Champagne for juvenile colts going one mile on the main track, providing a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile; and the Grade 1, $250,000 Frizette for juvenile fillies going one mile on the main track, a qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The lucrative card is bolstered by the Grade 2, $150,000 Sands Point for sophomore fillies going one mile over the Widener turf.

Since its inception in 1919, the Jockey Club Gold Cup has been one of the most prestigious events on the racing calendar having been won by Hall of Famers Man o' War [1920], Hill Prince [1950], Nashua [1955-56], Sword Dancer [1959], Buckpasser [1966], Damascus [1967], Forego [1974], John Henry [1981], Easy Goer [1989], Cigar [1995], Skip Away [1996-97] and Curlin [2007-08]. 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].

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, a three-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, Tacitus was third in last year's edition and was most recently second as the favorite in the Grade 1 Woodward on September 5 at Saratoga, where he chased a slow pace tracking a half-length off Global Campaign but was unable to catch the pacesetter, who strolled home a 1 ¾-length winner.

The 4-year-old son of Tapit out of 2014 Champion Older Mare Close Hatches made some noise on last year's Kentucky Derby trail with scores in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade 2 Wood Memorial en route to being elevated to third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. He followed with three runner-up finishes as the favorite, including a late-closing second in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and the Grade 2 Jim Dandy ahead of a prominent effort in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers.

Two starts following an international endeavor in his 2020 debut when fifth in the Group 1 Saudi Cup on February 29, Tacitus added another graded stakes triumph to his ledger with an 8 ¾-length runaway win in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 4 at Belmont Park, which also is contested at the classic distance.

Tacitus has trained forwardly heading into Saturday's race, recently posting a half-mile drill in 47.20 on October 4 – the fastest of 77 recorded works at the distance.

Mott said he has no regrets regarding Tacitus' race tactics in the Woodward.

“Looking back, I don't think we did anything wrong,” said Mott. “The horse that beat him just ran a very good race. The only thing we could have tried differently, and I don't know that it would have changed the outcome was maybe go to that horse [Global Campaign] right away from the gate. I don't know that it would have changed anything. You sure weren't going to take him back more, the only thing would have been going on the attack early.”

Jockey Jose Ortiz, aboard for all three of Tacitus' graded stakes victories, will ride once more, drawing post 4.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup has had a long history of sophomores besting their elders in the event, and a pair of 3-year-olds will be making their debut against older horses this year with Godolphin's graded stakes winner Mystic Guide and Wertheimer and Frere's unbeaten Happy Saver.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Mystic Guide bypassed last Saturday's Grade 1 Preakness in favor of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He was a last out winner of the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on September 5 at Saratoga, which was his only start where he was not made the favorite.

The well-bred chestnut son of Ghostzapper out of four-time Grade 1 winner Music Note has never finished off the board in five lifetime starts including a five-length triumph at second asking in his two-turn debut on March 21 at Fair Grounds. He was subsequently beaten by the same margin in his next effort against winners going a one-turn mile-and-a-sixteenth at Belmont to Tap It to Win before finishing third in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 16 at the Spa.

Mystic Guide registered a career-best 95 Beyer from his Jim Dandy score. The return to winning form was likely due to the addition of blinkers, according to Jimmy Bell who manages Godolphin's USA division.

“We were very, very pleased with his Jim Dandy run,” said Bell. “He stepped up and found his way to the top level. A little of it was the blinkers and getting him more involved in the race early not giving him too much to do at the end. We're looking forward to the distance of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.”

Bell said he is looking forward to seeing what the lightly-raced Mystic Guide can show as a 4-year-old and that he should relish the 1 ¼ miles.

“We're very much looking forward to his 4-year-old year,” Bell said. “We're really looking forward to the mile and a quarter race. He seems like a horse that will finish up well and not get tired.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, a three-time winning Jockey Club Gold Cup rider, will pilot Mystic Guide for the first time from post 5.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle Happy Saver, who has won all three of his lifetime starts but will face graded stakes company for the first time.

The son of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, who also was conditioned by Pletcher, was a 5 ½-length winner on debut going seven furlongs over Big Sandy before defeating winners in his two-turn debut at Saratoga at 1 1/8 miles.

Last out, he added “stakes winner” to his resume with a 1 ½-length score in the Federico Tesio at Laurel Park on September 7.

“He's a lightly raced 3-year-old going up against older horses, but he's done everything that we've asked of him so far,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said he has taken a patient approach with the lightly-raced Happy Saver.

“He just had some baby setbacks,” Pletcher said. “We almost had him ready to run here last fall, but we had to give him a break. It just took him a little while to get ready, but he's certainly made up a lot of ground in a short period of time.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who guided Happy Saver to his first two wins, has the mount from post 1.

A strong third-place effort against Grade 1 company has given veteran conditioner Jimmy Bond confidence to try Prioritize against such caliber once more, as he breaks from post 2.

Owned by William Clifton, Jr. the son of Tizway closed late to secure the show spot in the Grade 1 Woodward, where he was three lengths shy of the winner. Since moving to the main track, Prioritize has not finished out the money, having won his dirt debut for a $35,000 tag on December 20 at Aqueduct and secured a narrow allowance win at the Spa on July 25 over highly regarded Money Moves. When contesting on grass, he was twice third against stakes company in the 2018 Better Talk Now at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Hill Prince just over one month later at Belmont Park.

Jockey Luis Saez picks up the mount aboard Prioritize.

Rounding out the field is Colts Neck Stables' Name Changer, a 7-year-old Uncle Mo dark bay horse seeking his first win since the Queens County in December 2018 at Aqueduct.

Trained by Jorge Duarte, Jr., Name Changer has not won in four starts since said effort but has not finished worse than fourth. A winner of the 2018 Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, he arrives off a fourth-place finish to Pirate's Punch in the Grade 3 Salvator Mile on September 20 at Monmouth Park.

Jockey Manny Franco, who guided Discreet Lover to a 45-1 upset win in the 2018 Jockey Club Gold Cup, will attempt another longshot score in the race from post 3.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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