By Christie DeBernardis
With several potential GI Breeders' Cup Classic runners either based in California or just training up to the race, Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont, a “Win In You're In” for the Nov. 5 Classic, drew a short, but intriguing field of five. Tri-Bone Stables' GI Clark H. hero Effinex (Mineshaft)–third behind Tonalist (Tapit) in this event last year–got a taste for Arcadia at the start of this term when completing the trifecta in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 12 and returned to winning ways in the GII Oaklawn H. a month later. A head-scratching sixth as the favorite in the GI Stephen Foster H. back at Churchill June 18, the quirky bay successfully defended his title in the track-and-trip GII Suburban H. July 9 and was fourth behind Frosted (Tapit) when last seen in Saratoga's GI Whitney S. Aug. 6.
“He's sitting on ready,” Jerkens told the NYRA notes team. “We would rather have a target for him, but won't complain [if he is on the lead].”
With Frosted just training up to the Breeders' Cup, Kiaran McLaughlin will saddle Essafinaat's Mubtaahij (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in this spot. Fourth in last year's GI Belmont S., the bay was an impressive runner-up behind California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 28 before being transferred from trainer Mike de Kock to McLaughlin. Third behind Effinex in the Suburban, the bay bested his stablemate Frosted when a head second to Shaman Ghost (Ghostzapper) in Saratoga's GI Woodward S. Sept. 3 and looks like he could be primed to take another step forward getting back to 10 furlongs here.
“I thought he ran great,” said McLaughlin, who also sends out “TDN Rising Star” Watershed (Bernardini) in this test. “He ran [44] feet further than the winner. He's training great and a mile and a quarter is a great distance for him. He's third-time Lasix and third-time Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] this year, and could not be doing better.”
Hall of Famer Bob Baffert opted to bypass last Saturday's GI Awesome Again S. in favor of this spot for 2014 Clark winner Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday).Third in the Dubai World Cup, the bay finished fourth in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita June 25 and filled that spot again behind the likes of California Chrome, Beholder (Henny Hughes) and Dortmund (Big Brown) in the GI Pacific Classic Aug. 20.
“He needs the mile and a quarter,” Baffert remarked. “He's doing well and he's overdue for a big one.”
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