The Grey Wizard Punches Ticket to Melbourne in Belmont Gold Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

The GII Belmont Gold Cup on the turf Thursday marked the first of the weekend's graded races at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga with The Grey Wizard (Ire) (g, 5, Caravaggio–Fancy {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), who finished second in the race last year to Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), surging late for a last-gasp win in the two-mile event. Champagne Juan (Justify) was nosed out in the last strides for second, while Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy) was also a part of the photo and settled for third. Siskany was prominent throughout, tracking longshot leaders So High (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) at 20-1 and Lucky Curlin (Curlin) at 63-1 until fading in the stretch.

The Grey Wizard earned a spot in the G1 Melbourne Cup with the win. He began his 2024 campaign with an off-the-board effort in Keeneland's GII Elkhorn S. in April, but improved significantly for a third in the May 18 GIII Louisville S. at Churchill. Final time in the Gold Cup was 3:18.35.

O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and The Estate of Albert Frassetto; B-Longfield Stud (Ire); T-Graham Motion.

Thursday, Saratoga
BELMONT GOLD CUP S.-GII, $250,000, Saratoga, 6-6, 4yo/up, 2mT, 3:18.35, fm.
1–THE GREY WIZARD (IRE), 118, g, 5, by Caravaggio
                1st Dam: Fancy (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Danehill Music (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Tuesday Morning (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (£78,000 Ylg
'20 GOFOR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and The Estate
of Albert Frassetto; B-Longfield Stud (IRE); T-H. Graham
Motion; J-John R. Velazquez. $137,500. Lifetime Record:
15-4-4-1, $573,531. *Set new course record. **1/2 to Fancy
Man (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}), SW-Aus, MSW & MGSP-Eng,
$260,973. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Champagne Juan, 118, c, 4, Justify–Well Monied, by Maria's
Mon. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($300,000
Wlg '20 FTKNOV; $500,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-R.T Racing
Stable; B-Newstead Corp (KY); T-Christophe Clement. $50,000.
3–Limited Liability, 118, g, 5, Kitten's Joy–Hold Harmless,
by Blame. O/B-Stuart S. Janney, III LLC (KY); T-Claude R.
McGaughey III. $30,000.
Margins: HD, HD, 3 1/4. Odds: 6.20, 4.70, 11.60.
Also Ran: Really Good, Six Minus, Pioneering Spirit, Siskany (GB), Cibolian, Lucky Curlin, So High (GB). Scratched: Costa Terra, Dai Vernon, Sports Editor, Starting Over.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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