Happy Saver Skims Rail in Jockey Club Gold Cup
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Happy Saver wins the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park
Wertheimer and Frere's homebred Happy Saver, making just his fourth start, skimmed the rail in the stretch to get the lead under Irad Ortiz Jr., inching past fellow 3-year-old Mystic Guide to win the Oct. 10 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.
The son of Super Saver was a three-quarter-length winner and covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.77. Odds-on favorite Tacitus, seeking his first grade 1 win in six attempts, settled for third after setting a soft pace
The winner is trained by Todd Pletcher, who won the Gold Cup for the first time. His star older runner Vino Rosso crossed the wire first last year but was disqualified and placed second for interference behind Code of Honor.
"Not only had we not won it, we'd suffered some really close defeats, and then throw in a disqualification on top of that and it's been a frustrating one over the years," Pletcher said. "This one was fun. It's one of the races that has been hard on us. We've had some tough losses, and it was very fulfilling to win it today."
Happy Saver is out of the Distorted Humor mare Happy Week.
Only five went postward in the $242,500 Jockey Club Gold Cup, and they were loaded in the outside five stalls of the starting gate as 10-furlong races at the 12-furlong layout at Belmont start on the turn.
Happy Saver broke on top as the short field headed to the rail, but Ortiz was more than happy to relinquish the early advantage to Juddmonte Farms' 4-year-old Tacitus with Jose Ortiz up. They clipped through an easy :24.93 opening quarter-mile as Happy Saver stayed along the rail and Mystic Guide tracked well off the rail. Outsiders Name Changer and Prioritize trailed.
"We were OK with not having the lead," Pletcher said. "I told Irad in the paddock that usually I have a little idea of a plan, but this one was tricky to me. Everyone has the same style, and I didn't think anyone really wanted to be on the lead, so just play it by ear."
The half-mile went in a moderate :49.68 and three-quarters in 1:13.61. Mystic Guide made his run to the lead on the turn as Happy Saver also continued to move forward while inside. The three were on near even terms at the head of the lane after a mile in 1:37.25.
"Watching the race, I thought he was a little uncomfortable inside there," Pletcher said. "To his credit, that was a pretty game performance to come up the inside there in his fourth start and first time against older horses going a mile and a quarter."
Mystic Guide seemed to have the advantage while in the three path, but Happy Saver was determined on getting to the wire first. Tacitus finished 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Prioritize. Name Changer trailed.
Happy Saver (inside) en route to victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup
"This race was uncomfortable for him. I wasn't really happy down in there, but I didn't really have any other options," Ortiz said. "I just had to go with the flow of the race. I thought we were going to be on the lead, and I was surprised to look up and see Tacitus on the lead early. I can't take back but I can't go head and head, so I just let my horse be there. I used him a little on the backside to stay close and go from there.
"He has a big heart, like I told Todd in the paddock. He's a fighter. Every time he has a horse in front of him and when you ask him to go, he passes the horse and then he puts his ears up."
Happy Saver made his debut less than fourth months ago, breaking his maiden on Belmont Stakes Day going seven furlongs. At Saratoga, he defeated an allowance cast July 26 by four lengths at nine furlongs. His stakes debut came in the Sept. 7 Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park, where he landed that 1 1/8-mile contest by 1 1/2 lengths. Pletcher opted not to try last weekend's Preakness Stakes (G1) for a shot at the Gold Cup.
"I was very proud of the horse and his performance," Pletcher said. "I'm happy for the connections. The Wertheimers have been loyal supporters for many years, and I'm appreciative of that. It's great to get a grade 1 win for them. He's by a Derby winner we trained, so it's fun all the way around."
Happy Week descends from 1992 Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise.
Bred in Kentucky by W. S. Farish and Kilroy Thoroughbred Partnership, Happy Week was a $600,000 purchase at the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Racing under the colors of Gerard and Alain Wertheimer and for Pletcher, Happy Week won five of 17 starts and ran third in a pair of minor stakes, the 2010 Dream Supreme Stakes at Churchill Downs and the 2011 Queen Stakes at Turfway Park. She finished third in the Shuvee Handicap (G2) at Belmont but was disqualified to fourth.
Happy Week is out of Lassie's Legacy, who is out of Weekend Surprise. Lassie's Legacy is a half sister to classic winners and sires A.P. Indy and Summer Squall, graded stakes winner Welcome Surprise, stakes winner Eavesdropper, and graded-placed sire Honor Grades.
Happy Week delivered a full sister to the Jockey Club Gold Cup winner this year and was bred to Sky Mesa for 2021.
Happy Saver paid $6.70 and $5.50. Mystic Guide returned $7.70, and the $1 1-5 exacta paid $17.20. There was no show wagering.
The $137,500 winner's share lifted Happy Saver's total to $273,400.
The race was a Breeders' Cup Challenge event for the Nov. 7 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland.
"First and foremost, we'll see how he bounces out of this race. It was a tough race, and he's still a lightly raced horse," Pletcher said. "That's part of the reason we decided to come here instead of going to the Preakness."