Tonalist wins Gold Cup, again

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Tonalist easily beat five rivals in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup in the slop Saturday to earn a return trip to the Breeders' Cup Classic.

The Gold Cup was one of four Challenge races at Belmont Park with each winner getting a fees-paid spot in the corresponding Breeders' Cup race on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Tonalist will face a deep lineup in the $5 million Classic, including Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and the mare Beholder, who beat males in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar earlier in the summer.

It was the second consecutive Gold Cup victory for Tonalist, the 2014 Belmont Stakes winner trained by Christophe Clement.

He ran fifth in last year's Classic held at Santa Anita.

Tonalist paid $4, $2.50 and $2.10 as the even-money favorite with John Velazquez aboard for his first Gold Cup victory.

Kept closer to the pace than usual in the compact field, Tonalist ranged into contention with an inside move before splitting rivals at the top of the stretch.

Once clear, the 4-year-old colt glided to his sixth victory in 14 starts. He beat Wicked Strong by 4 3/4 lengths. Effinex got third, giving trainer Jimmy Jerkens a 2-3 finish in the 97th Gold Cup.

It was a return to form for Tonalist who had lost his previous three races as the betting favorite in each defeat.

"I never lost my faith in the horse," Clement said. "I never thought he was disappointing. He was a bit unlucky for the year."

The time was 2:02.16 for the 1 1/4 miles.

Coach Inge was fourth followed by Looks to Spare and Constitution.

In other races at Belmont Saturday:

Greenpointcrusader (trained by Dominick Schettino, ridden by Joe Bravo) earned a spot in the $2 million Juvenile with a dominant victory at 6-1 in the $500,000 Champagne for 2-year-olds. After a poor start, the colt rallied four wide through the lane to beat Sunny Ridge by 4 1/2 lengths. The time was 1:36.25 for the mile.

Nickname (trained by Steve Asmussen, ridden by Javier Castellano) will be one of the favorites in the $2 million Juvenile Fillies following a 3 1/2 length triumph over Nemoralia in $400,000 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies. She improved to 2 for 3, covering the mile in 1:37.76.

Stephanie's Kitten (trained by Chad Brown, ridden by Irad Orti, Jr.) earned another spot in the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf with a repeat victory in the $500,000 Flower Bowl at 1 1/4 miles.

In other racing action involving horses trying to qualify for Breeders' Cup spots:

Tepin (trained by Mark Cassse, ridden by Julien Leparoux) won the $400,000 First Lady Stakes by 7 lengths at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.. Casse said the 4-year-old Bernstein filly will next face the boys in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Mile.

Grand Arch held off The Pizza Man in the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile, earning his first Grade I victory . The victory earned Grand Arch a spot in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Mile. Saturday's race was marred by the breakdown of longtime Calumet Farm runner Skyring, who did not finish after being pulled up abruptly by jockey Joseph Rocco Jr. on the backside due to injury. He was euthanized. Skyring began his racing career in 2012 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, where he broke his maiden.

Brody's Cause (trained by Dale Romans, ridden by Corey Lanerie) rallied from second-to-last in an 11-horse field to win the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. The Giant's Causeway colt moved up three-wide on the turn, sat fifth coming for home, and blew by favored Exaggerator late to score by a length.

Fioretti punched her ticket to the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint with a victory in the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes. Sent off at 17-1, Fioretti made her move on the outside in the stretch and held off a late drive by Heykittykittykitty to win by a half-length.

At Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif, Wild Dude rallied from far back to win the $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, beating fellow closer Kobe's Back by a neck in the 6-furlong race. The victory is the second Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" score for Wild Dude, who won the Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 26.

Sports on 10/04/2015

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