Majestic Harbor Shocks Gold Cup
- By Frank Angs
Gallant Stables’ longshot Majestic Harbor launched a sustained move in the far turn, flew past fading favoriteGame On Dude, and only added to his advantage in the stretch to post a 6 1/4-length victory in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (gr. I) June 28 at Santa Anita Park (VIDEO).
The upset victory at odds of 14-1 marked the first grade I win for Majestic Harbor and his Southern California-based trainer Sean McCarthy. In March, McCarthy notched his first graded stakes score when Majestic Harbor, a 6-year-old son of the late Rockport Harbor, won the Tokyo City Cup Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita.
“The horse had a great week, a great 10 days,” McCarthy said. “The ‘T’s’ were crossed, the ‘I’s’ were dotted, and you just hope that when you lead him over there, he fires—and he fired. I couldn’t ask for a better trip; I couldn’t ask for things to have been any better.”
The victory also is huge for Majestic Harbor’s dam, the stakes-placed French Deputy mare Champagne Royale. Earlier this year her Street Boss colt Danza won the Arkansas Derby (gr. I). Majestic Harbor was bred in Kentucky by Liberation Farm and Brandywine Farm.
Going into the race, attention was focused on Game On Dude’s efforts to join Lava Man as the second horse in the 21st century to win three editions of the Gold Cup, which had been contested as the Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) until that track closed at the end of last year and Santa Anita took over the race.
Despite losses by Game On Dude in four of his past five starts going into Saturday’s race, the popular 7-year-old Awesome Again gelding was sent off as the 4-5 favorite in a field void of any other U.S. grade I winners.
After Game On Dude and jockey Mike Smith broke well from the inside post, they quickly were engaged by Fury Kapcori and jockey Gary Stevens. The horses and Hall of Fame riders briefly dueled before Smith opted to let Stevens take the lead and Fury Kapcori opened a clear advantage the first time under the wire.
With Game On Dude tracking from second, Fury Kapcori led through a half-mile in :45.39 and six furlongs in 1:09.80. Game On Dude launched his bid entering the far turn but Majestic Harbor, who had been tracking in third under Tyler Baze, would soon follow with his best and seize a half-length advantage at the quarter pole.
In midstretch Baze and Majestic Harbor opened up 2 1/4 lengths onClubhouse Ride and only added to that advantage to the wire. Clubhouse Ride held second, hitting the board in a grade I race for a third time; while Imperative, who entered off a win over Game On Dude in the Charles Town Classic Stakes (gr. II), rallied for third to earn his first grade I placing.
As a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, the victory landed Majestic Harbor a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.
“To do this for Sean, it means a whole lot for the guy that stood by my side,” Baze said. “He gave me an opportunity to ride this horse first time out. I’ve gotten to know him, learn about him and learn how to ride him and I never lost any bit of faith in him.
“From the first time I got on him, I told Sean, ‘This horse will make you. We’ll win the Breeders’ Cup with him.’ I’m just looking forward to that and now we’re goin’ fishing!”
Game On Dude finished fourth. Smith said the early duel was costly.
“I didn’t want to be going that fast, but by the time we took back, we were already going real fast,” Smith said.
Majestic Harbor completed the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.53 on a fast track. With the winner’s check of $300,000 from Saturday’s $500,000 race, he nearly doubled his career earnings to $655,764. He has six wins and 10 other placings from 23 starts.
Majestic Harbor paid $30.80 to win, $10.60 to place, and $5.40 to show while Clubhouse Ride returned $5.60 and $4. Imperative paid $4 to show.
McCarthy purchased his breakthrough horse for Ron Beegle’s Gallant Stable for just $20,000 at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale from the consignment of Brandywine Farm, agent.
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Angel Gabrial winning the Northumberland Plate with Suegioo second
PICTURE: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)
Goodwood Cup and Ebor options for Plate one-two
THE Group 2 Artemis Goodwood Cup and Betfred Ebor are under consideration for Angel Gabrial and Suegioo, who provided enthusiastic owner Marwan Koukash with a one-two in Saturday’s Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.
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Koukash had already celebrated one big handicap success this season when Suegioo beat Angel Gabrial in the Chester Cup, but the roles were reversed on Saturday with Angel Gabrial – named after the owner’s son – winning by three and a half lengths.
The Emirates Melbourne Cup at Flemington in November, which Koukash has been represented by Mount Athos in for the past two years, has also been mentioned as a possible target, but trips to two of Britain’s biggest Flat meetings are likely to come first.
“Great win by Angel Gabrial and for Suegioo to finish second in the Northumberland Plate,” Koukash tweeted on Sunday morning. “Ebor could be their next target.
“Both horses are progressive and unexposed. We may run one or both in the Goodwood Cup.”
Arc entry Gold Ship makes Hanshin history
Report: Japan, Sunday
Hanshin: Takarazuka Kinen (Grade 1) 1m3f, turf, 3yo+
GOLD SHIP (Naosuke Sugai/Norihiro Yokoyama) laid down a marker for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe when he became the first horse to capture the 275 million yen (£1.6m) Takarazuka Kinen twice.
A stellar field lined up in front of a 70,000-strong crowd for the final Grade 1 in Japan until October with Dubai Sheema Classic heroine Gentildonna the other standout name in action.
Connections had voiced concerns about her ability to handle conditions at Hanshin and she made little impact, fading in the straight and finishing ninth of the 12 runners.
Things went much more to plan for Gold Ship, who was positioned wide early, tracking the leaders.
Successful in the Japanese 2,000 Guineas and St Leger in 2012, the five-year-old quickened impressively in the straight to beat Curren Mirotic by three lengths and become the first two-time winner of the Takarazuka Kinen in its 55-year history after landing it 12 months ago.
Longtime leader Verxina held on in a tight finish for third, while the fancied Win Variation was only seventh.
“He showed what he could do in the straight,” said winning rider Yokoyama, who was partnering the son of Stay Gold for the first time.
Gold Ship, regarded as a slightly enigmatic horse in Japan, has yet to race outside of the country, but is engaged in the Arc, which he is 25-1 for with British bookmakers.
Just A Way, also trained by Sugai, and Harp Star are shorter-priced challengers for Japan, still chasing an elusive first win in Europe’s richest race.
Noble Mission wins the Gordon Richard Stakes
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
Noble Mission primed for fresh assignment
2.40 Saint-Cloud
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Group 1) | 1m4f, 4yo+ | ATR
NOBLE MISSION more than lived up to his name when securing a first Group 1 success for Lady Cecil in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, a third straight win under newly adopted front-running tactics.
Victory in the same race for Al Kazeem 12 months earlier provided the springboard to an unforgettable summer and both Cecil and owner Khalid Abdullah will hope Noble Mission can also add to his laurels this season.
Noble Mission could have been kept to a mile and a quarter in Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse but the possibility of quick going at Sandown means he goes head-to-head with Abdullah’s best older horse in France, last season’s Grand Prix de Paris hero Flintshire.
Andre Fabre was adamant before his reappearance when second to Cirrus Des Aigles at Epsom that Flintshire was short of peak fitness and, assuming the rain stays away, the son of Dansili will pose formidable opposition.
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Empoli is next best on ratings but has five and a half lengths to find on Flintshire from their running in the Coronation Cup.
Christophe Lemaire partners the progressive Spiritjim, who beat Meleagros three-quarters of a length at Longchamp on his most recent start.
The Aga Khan’s imposing Narniyn and the other filly in the race, Siljan’s Saga, both boast Group-race wins at Saint-Cloud.
Foreign legion
French success has become something of a rarity in recent seasons with six of the last ten runnings won by horses trained abroad (five from Britain, one from Germany).
Spiritjim by a whisker
On the book Spiritjim has 6-7lb to find with the top-rated Flintshire but his current run of four consecutive wins has been compiled by narrow margins (a short neck, a short head, three- quarters of a length and a head), which arguably points to a horse who only ever does just enough.
What they say
Andre Fabre, trainer of Flintshire
I was happy because he had a nice easy race in the Coronation Cup and he will be fitter for the run. It might rain a little bit but nothing significant and the ground should be okay. The King George is a possibility if he wins well.
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Khalid Abdullah, owner of Noble Mission
He’s been in very good form and worked pleasingly the other morning. They’ve had some rain which will probably help. He’s in good shape.
Pascal Bary, trainer of Spiritjim
He takes his races well and has been in good form since Chantilly. Having won a Group 3 and Group 2, this is the logical next step.
Peter Schiergen, trainer of Empoli
He wasn’t suited by the track at Epsom when he was fourth in the Coronation Cup. Saint-Cloud should be ideal and I’m sure he will be much closer to Flintshire. He acts on any going and I’m confident he will be placed at least.
Alain de Royer-Dupre, trainer of Narniyn
I don’t see the distance as a problem. She got tired last time [over a mile and a quarter] but I think that was the ground more than anything.
Jean-Pierre Gauvin, trainer of Siljan’s Saga
She didn’t have a hard race last time and has recovered very quickly. Fillies who have won the Corrida over the last ten years have a pretty good record in this. She appreciates a good pace in her races and will have no problem going back up in trip.
fonte: RacingPost
