Antiquarian levitating. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Centennial Farms’ Antiquarian stalked and pounced to earn his first top-level score in Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 10-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up, at Saratoga Race Course.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup awarded Antiquarian a “Win and You’re In” berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.
The Hall of Fame trainer-jockey duo of Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Saturday at Del Mar with Fierceness and repeated the older dirt male success less than 24 hours later with Antiquarian, who remained largely unaffected by an early incident in the race that caused Irad Ortiz, Jr. to be unseated from the Pletcher-trained Mindframe.
“Mixed emotions. You hate to see anything like that happen but at the same time I want Antiquarian to get his due,” Pletcher said. “Centennial – that’s a huge win for them, so I’m happy for them.”
Antiquarian, a son of the Centennial Farms-campaigned Preservationist, entered from a head second to reopposing Phileas Fogg in the Grade 2 Suburban presented by Subourbon on July 4 over course and distance. On Sunday, Antiquarian exited the outermost post 8 alertly as Phileas Fogg left post 7 and soon veered in sharply under Kendrick Carmouche, causing Contrary Thinking to shy into the Edgard Zayas-piloted White Abarrio, who in turn bumped Mindframe, unseating Ortiz, Jr.
The post-time favorite Sierra Leone altered course as his jockey Flavien Prat attempted to avoid Ortiz, Jr. down on the track as the field headed towards the first turn. Contrary Thinking recovered to set an opening quarter-mile in 23 seconds flat on the fast main track, with several lengths back to Phileas Fogg, White Abarrio and Antiquarian in fourth position ahead of the riderless Mindframe.
“I didn’t know what happened,” Velazquez said. “I saw Edgard try to put his feet back in the irons. I had my mind made up that I wanted to take my horse back and tried to give him a break the first part of the race. That’s the way it worked out.”
Contrary Thinking extended his margin down the backside as the complexion remained the same up front and Antiquarian maintained his fourth position through the half-mile in 46.96 and Sierra Leone trailed behind Disarm and defending race-winner Highland Falls.
After three-quarters in 1:11.92, Contrary Thinking came back to the field and Phileas Fogg took command as Antiquarian improved to the inside of a backpedaling White Abarrio with Highland Falls launching a wide bid.
Phileas Fogg responded at the top of the lane through one-mile in 1:36.83 and held a two-length advantage at the stretch call, but Antiquarian got rolling to his outside and narrowed the gap within the eighth pole while the last-out Grade 1 Whitney-winner Sierra Leone closed rapidly down the center of the course.
“Kendrick was kind of nudging his horse and I was like, ‘I better get a little closer to him before he gets away from me,’” Velazquez said. “I got close to him, and he responded really well.”
Antiquarian flew by Phileas Fogg inside the final sixteenth with the jump on Sierra Leone to win by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 2:02.16.
Phileas Fogg crossed the wire third 1 1/4 lengths behind Sierra Leone, but following a stewards’ inquiry, was disqualified and declared officially unplaced. Highland Falls was elevated to third, with White Abarrio completing the superfecta. Disarm and Contrary Thinking rounded out the order of finish.
Mindframe was collared by the outrider and walked back to the barn area under his own power. Ortiz, Jr. was transported to Albany Medical Center for evaluation of his ribs and left wrist. Banishing, who won the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on August 22, was a stakes scratch.
Pletcher added to success earlier this week with wins in the local Grade 1 Spinaway [Tommy Jo], Grade 3 With Anticipation [Final Score] and Listed P.G. Johnson presented by Snap-On [Time to Dream].
“It seemed like he was getting better and better,” said Pletcher, who previously won this event with Happy Saver [2020] and Bright Future [2023]. “We always expected him, as he got older, to get better. It seemed like the last couple times he got going just a little too late. So, he was able to get there a little sooner this time.”
Pletcher provided an initial update on dual Grade 1-winner Mindframe.
“It appears as though he pulled up fine. He kind of slowed down and the outriders looked like they caught him safely. Our initial inspections back here are fine,” Pletcher said. “We’ll obviously go over him very closely at the barn like we always do. Luckily, I think he’s OK.”
Don Little, Jr., president and co-owner of Centennial Farms, was thrilled to secure a second Jockey Club Gold Cup win to go along with Colonial Affair in 1994.
“To have this a second time that Centennial has won this prestigious trophy is really, really exciting and special,” Little, Jr. said. “In one way, people were cheering for Sierra Leone to win the Whitney and the Jockey Club, but our horse Colonial Affair was the last to do it. We keep that in the record books, and it’s just been a great go. Team Todd, all the way.”
Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown said reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic-victor Sierra Leone was unlucky, but he focused on the wellbeing of Mindframe and Ortiz, Jr.
“I hope Irad is OK. That’s my main concern,” said Brown. “As far as the race goes, we lost a considerable amount of ground. He had to use him to try and re-gain where he should have been, and it certainly played a role in the finish. That’s horse racing and it’s just unfortunate on a big day – both for my horse, for Mindframe, who was poised for a big effort; and most importantly for Irad, who we just hope can escape from this without any injuries.”
The 2024 Grade 3 Peter Pan-winning Antiquarian, bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, is out of the winning Istan mare Lifetime Memory, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Speaktomeofsummer and stakes-winner Proud Reunion. He banked $550,000 in victory while improving his record to 9-4-3-0 and returning $28 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes on Monday for Closing Day of the Saratoga summer meet with an 11-race card, featuring the Grade 1 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful in Race 9 and the Listed Saranac in Race 10. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
