Off-the-turf and in the mud, Johnny V wins his second stakes on the day aboard the elegantly mudded Parchment Party. (Joe Labozzetta)
The Belmont Gold Cup is a ‘Golden Ticket’ event, offering the winner an automatic berth into the Group 1, Lexus Melbourne Cup
By Mary Eddy
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Pin Oak Stud’s Parchment Party had not visited the winner’s circle in seven starts since a maiden win in late 2023, but returned with aplomb on Friday at Saratoga Race Course to capture an off-the-turf edition of the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup on Day Three of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
Originally scheduled for two miles on the inner turf for older horses, heavy rain moved the staying test to 1 3/4 miles over the sloppy and sealed main track.
The Belmont Gold Cup is a ‘Golden Ticket’ event, offering the winner an automatic berth into the Group 1, Lexus Melbourne Cup worth more than AUD $8 million, continuing the partnership between NYRA and the Victoria Racing Club. “The race that stops a nation” will be held on November 4 at Flemington Racecourse in Victoria, Australia.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Parchment Party drew in as a main track-only entrant and dominated the marathon affair, skipping clear to an 8 1/2-length score under fellow enshrine John Velazquez, who doubled up on graded wins after guiding Dorth Vader to a win in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford one race prior.
Mott said the race’s 1 3/4-mile distance if taken off the turf was enough reason to enter the Constitution 4-year-old for the main track.
“[The distance] was why we were in there to begin with,” Mott said. “No matter when we ran him, he’d gallop out in front of his competitors. We tried him on the grass before, and he just didn’t excel on it.”
Parchment Party emerged from the outermost post 8 and settled in last as the sharp-starting Grand Sonata relinquished command to Yo Daddy – another main track-only entrant – through the first turn. The Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Yo Daddy would dictate the tempo throughout, setting splits of 24.22 seconds, 48.71, 1:12.87 and 1:38.56 with a gap back to Curbstone in second and Grand Sonata in third.
Flatten the Curve advanced between rivals heading into the final turn as Grand Sonata and Curbstone backpedaled and Parchment Party steadily made up ground widest of all through 10 furlongs in 2:04.75. Yo Daddy clung to a precarious leading exiting the turn with Parchment Party the only one in with a shout as the top two drew well clear of the rest of their rivals.
A game Yo Daddy battled on valiantly, but Parchment Party’s turn-of-foot proved too strong inside the final eighth as he drew off powerfully to win in a final time of 2:57.86. Yo Daddy was a clear second 14 1/2 lengths ahead of Padiddle with Flatten the Curve, Curbstone, the Mott-trained Timeout, Tawny Port and Grand Sonata completing the order of finish.
Limited Liability, La Mehana, Anglophile, The Ginger Wizard and Lord Flintshire were scratched.
Velazquez said he rode the colt to instruction.
“This is what Mr. Mott told me about this horse, ‘He doesn’t like to be ridden the first part of the race, but he always gallops out,’” Velazquez said. “He thought that this distance would be good for him.”
Mott said he is likely to politely decline the ‘Golden Ticket’ offer as Parchment Party’s two efforts on turf were an optional claiming fifth in February and a ninth in Gulfstream Park’s Grade 2 Mac Diarmida in March in his only other stakes start.
“I’m happy to have won but I don’t know if I’ll be able to accept the invitation,” Mott said. “I’d love to go to a race like the Melbourne Cup, but when I do I want to go with the right horse.”
Bred in Kentucky by B. Flay Thoroughbreds, Parchment Party entered from a third in a nine-furlong optional claiming allowance on May 17 at Churchill. The $450,000 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase – a half-brother to Grade 1-winner American Patriot and dual graded stakes-placed Muqtaser – banked $137,500 in victory while returning $16 on a $2 win wager.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga for a blockbuster Belmont Stakes Day program that includes five Grade 1 events among eight stakes in total on the 14-race card, culminating with the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets [Race 13] and featuring two Breeders’ Cup “Win And You’re In” qualifiers for 3-year-olds and up: the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap [Race 8] going one mile out of the Wilson Chute [Dirt Mile] and the 5 1/2-furlong turf Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur [Race 9] on the Mellon turf [Turf Sprint].
A stacked card also includes top-flight racing with the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun [Race 11], and the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan [Race 12]. The stakes action kicks off with the Grade 2, $300,000 Wonder Again [Race 6] and includes the Grade 3, $400,000 True North [Race 7] and the Grade 3, $300,000 Pennine Ridge [Race 10]. First post on Saturday is 10:45 a.m. Eastern with admission gates open to the public at 9 a.m.
