Legendary Can Take Down Faves in Commonwealth Cup

The bettors will likely flock to Grade I winners Mr Speaker (Pulpit) and Up With the Birds (Stormy Atlantic) in Saturday’s GII Commonwealth Cup at Laurel Park, but Walter Swinburn’s Legendary (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) looks to have the tools to cause a minor upset.

Winner over this course of the Japan Racing Association S. in 2014, the gelding defeated Up With the Birds in the GIII Knickerbocker S. at Belmont last November, but has been shut out in four tries this term. A troubled fifth in the GII Dixie S. on the Preakness S. undercard May 16, the bay was an excellent third in the GI Manhattan S. at Belmont June 6, but did not get over the rain-affected surface at Arlington last time and was last but one in the GI Arlington Million Aug. 15. A sounder surface could make the difference here.

Mr Speaker, who took down the colors of subsequent GI Secretariat S. and G1 Cox Plate hero Adelaide (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in last year’s GI Belmont Derby, failed to reproduce an effort similar to that until landing a July 15 Belmont allowance by 2 1/2 lengths. The Phipps homebred was a warm favorite for the GII Sky Classic S. at Woodbine Aug. 16 and raced prominently throughout, but could not close off late and finished fourth, beaten under two lengths with a checkered late run. The winner that afternoon, Interpol (English Channel), returned to annex the GI Northern Dancer Turf last Sunday.

“[Jockey Patrick Husbands] tried to go through on the inside and got shut off. Then, he had to go outside,” trainer Shug McGaughey commented. “He said he was planning to go to the outside before, but by the time he got there, it got shut off.”

Sam-Son homebred Up With the Birds, winner of the 2013 GI Jamaica H. while under the care of Malcolm Pierce, was switched to the Graham Motion barn this year for a stateside campaign. Third in the Dixie, the bay was third with some trouble in the GIII Arlington H. July 11 and exits a fourth in the Million after emptying out in the final eighth of a mile. The cutback in distance figures to help Saturday afternoon.