Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Banishing May Run Back in Jockey Club Gold Cup

Wandering Eyes · 2025-08-27T22:27:33Z

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Last Friday, trainer David Jacobson watched as his ultra-consistent 5-year-old gelding Banishing (Ghostzapper) won the $1-million GII Charles Town Classic Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.

Jacobson is toying with the idea of bringing Banishing back to the races on Sunday to run in the $1-million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Saratoga. All signs are pointing that way: the horse has already shipped up to the Spa and Jacobson entered Banishing in the race.

He is among the nine horses that were entered Wednesday, which also includes GI Whitney Stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), who is undefeated in three starts this year, Highland Falls (Curlin), second in the Whitney, White Abarrio (Race Day), who was fourth in the Whitney and GII Suburban winner Phileas Fogg (Astern {Aus}).

“We are up in the air right now,” Jacobson said Wednesday by phone from Louisville, Ky.

“He is going to let us know. So far, he is recovering from the (Charles Town Classic) and we will just have to wait. We will make a decision on race day. We are looking forward to running him if he is ready to run.”

Banishing, owned by Jacobson and Lawrence Roman, has won four of nine starts this year and has been second four other times. In the seven-furlong GI Churchill Downs Stakes on Kentucky Derby Day, he was defeated by a nose by Mindframe in a four-horse photo finish.

The highly regarded 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist) was third and Book 'em Danno (Bucchero), who just won the GI Forego Stakes at Saratoga last weekend, was fourth.

For his career, Banishing has nine wins, five seconds and two thirds in 23 starts. If he runs Sunday, it will be the first time Banishing will try the 1 1/4 miles. Jacobson does not seem too concerned about that.

“If you can go 1 1/16 (miles), you can go 1 1/8,” he said. “If you can go 1 1/8, you can go 1 1/4. Until he shows me that he can't do it, I don't expect it would be a problem. He is definitely fit enough.”

The Charles Town Classic was 1 1/8 miles.

“His form speaks for itself,” Jacobson said. “He is to the point where he really makes my job easy. I don't need to train him much. I just have to feed him, let him rest, give him a nice bed of straw for sleep on and he does the rest.”

Jacobson said that Jose Lezcano will ride Banishing in the Jockey Club Gold Cup if he goes. Tyler Gaffalione rode him in his last two starts and he has also been ridden by Jose Ortiz and Flavien Prat and Ricardo Santana, Jr.

Gaffalione and Ortiz are riding at Kentucky Downs Sunday, Prat is riding Sierra Leone in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Santana is aboard White Abarrio.

As far as the quick turnaround, Jacobson isn't overly concerned about that.

“People seem to be talking about that, but in the old days, people did this all the time,” Jacobson said. “So far, there is nothing negative to report on his condition. He just loves to run.”

Sovereignty Returns to the Track, Mott Looking Ahead

Four days after winning the $1.25-million GI Travers Stakes, Sovereignty (Into Mischief) went back to the track. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said the colt returned to the Oklahoma Training Track for some light exercise.

Smiles all around for Sovereignty's Travers victory | Sarah Andrew

“All good,” Mott said, sitting in his golf cart outside his barn on the Oklahoma Wednesday morning. “Just a normal training. We will have to pick it up and look at the calendar and get a breeze schedule to make sure we have enough in him going out to California.”

California as in Del Mar where the Breeders' Cup will be held for the 42nd time. The $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic is the end-of-the-year goal for Sovereignty, who has won five of six starts this year, including the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes.

Mott had a special summer at Saratoga with Sovereignty, who in addition to the Belmont and Travers, also won the GII Jim Dandy Stakes.

Mott said he had time to sit down and watch the replay of the Travers a couple of times at home.

But he was not about to stay in the rocking chair and remember the glory. At least not right now. There is still work to be done.

“It's all history, it's in the rearview mirror,” he said. “That's all you can do, I guess. Look, whether it's this or life, it's in the past. It's nice to have some good memories and that sort of thing but you have to look forward. Win, lose or draw … move ahead.”

With the meet dwindling down to a precious few days, Mott was not about to rank this summer as one of his best. Besides the spectacular Sovereignty, Mott won the GIII Mahony Stakes with Spiced Up (Quality Road) and the listed Birdstone Stakes with 'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party (Constitution).

He was also second in the GI Ballerina Stakes with 'TDN Rising Star' Scylla (Tapit), second in the GI Forego Stakes with Scotland (Good Magic), second and third in the GI Test Stakes with 'TDN Rising Star' Ragtime (Union Rags) and Beauty Reigns (Into Mischief) and third in the GII Honorable Miss Stakes with Scylla.

“We have a lot to be grateful for,” Mott said. “I have had years when I had multiple stakes wins up here. We have not had that many horses show up in those kinds of races this year. But I'm not complaining.”

Race for Riding Title at Saratoga Not Over, but Irad Ortiz has the Edge

At the end of the day Sunday, Jose Ortiz trailed his brother, Irad, 53-52 in the hotly contested jockey standings at Saratoga. That's probably as close as Jose will get as his meet is just about done.

Jose will ride most of the final Saratoga week at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky. He was not listed on any horses at Saratoga on Wednesday and will ride at Kentucky Downs Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Jose Ortiz in the Ballerina winner's circle with Hope Road | Sarah Andrew

He will return to ride on Monday, Labor Day, which is closing day of the Saratoga meet. Jose's main ride on Monday is in the GI Hopeful Stakes aboard 'TDN Rising Star' Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

Irad rode at Saratoga on Wednesday and will be here Thursday and Friday before heading to Kentucky Downs on Saturday. He will be back in Saratoga to ride Sunday and should be in good position to win his fourth straight Spa title and sixth in the last eight years.

He had one win on Wednesday to increase his lead over his brother to 54-52.

Jose Ortiz, who is calling Kentucky home these days, has won two riding titles at the seven-day Kentucky Downs meet, in 2018 and 2019. He is the fifth all-time leading rider there with 48 victories.

“I love it more every year,” Jose said about Kentucky Downs. “I love Saratoga, too. The summer goes by pretty fast.”

Among the best wins Jose had at the Saratoga meet were the GI Alabama Stakes with Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), the GI Ballerina Stakes with Hope Road (Quality Road), the GI Test Stakes with Kilwin (Twirling Candy), the GII Lake Placid Stakes with May Day Ready (Tapit) and the GII Saratoga Special Stakes with 'TDN Rising Star' Ewing (Knicks Go).