Forza Di Oro Makes G1 Debut in Jockey Club Gold Cup

Good things are worth waiting for.

Or so they say.

That adage will be put to a test Sept. 4 when Forza Di Oro  finally makes his debut in top-level company, joining five other older horses in the initial running of the prestigious $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

A longtime fixture at Belmont Park and one of the New York Racing Association's top three races for older horses, the Jockey Club Gold Cup was moved to the Spa this year in hopes of generating bigger and better fields than it was attracting in its customary fall spot.

Looking at Saturday's field, that strategy of swapping the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup and the 1 1/8-mile Woodward Stakes (G1) was met with modest results. Only six turned out, even with a free "Win and You're In" spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) up for grabs. But it's a good, competitive field that includes Suburban Stakes (G2) winner Max Player , 2020 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Happy Saver , and the X factor in the handicap division in Don Alberto Stable's homebred 4-year-old Forza Di Oro , who will be making his first appearance in a grade 1 stakes in a career that has included layoffs of 10 and eight months.

"He's doing well," trainer Bill Mott said about Forza Di Oro. "He keeps coming back. He's training well and he does enough where you can get him ready. Right now everything's good."

Though Forza Di Oro was sent off at odds of 31-1 in his Sept. 11, 2019, debut, it did not take long for the son of Speightstown   to make an impression. He was second to Ajaaweed , who became grade 2 placed, in that first start and then promptly broke his maiden in his subsequent try.

There was enough of a buzz around him that he was sent off at 5-1 odds in the Remsen Stakes (G2) off that maiden win, but he finished eighth beaten by a little more than 24 lengths. It was later found that he had a sore hind ankle and Mott could not get him back to the races until 10 months later in an Oct. 9 allowance at Belmont Park, which he won by a neck. 

A highly promising Nov. 28 victory in the Discovery Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds followed, sparking enthusiasm for a big 4-year-old campaign. But once again a few setbacks kept him sidelined until July 21 when he notched a three-length allowance optional claiming victory at Saratoga.

Confident in his colt's ability to handle a mile-and-a-quarter distance, Mott selected the Jockey Club Gold Cup as the acid test for Forza Di Oro against top competition.

"He's never been a mile and a quarter, but we think he'll be fine at it," said Mott, who will be seeking a fourth Jockey Club Gold Cup win. "We'll give it a try."

Despite the stops and starts to his career, Forza Di Oro has won four of six starts with earnings of $209,375. He's out of the Hard Spun   mare Filare l'Oro. She was bought for $410,000 while in foal to Tapit   by Don Alberto from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the 2013 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. That first foal by Tapit was Silver Dust , a multiple grade 3 winner. Forza Di Oro is the third of her four foals with the latest being an unraced Empire Maker 3-year-old colt.

George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player already has his free ticket to the Classic, having captured the "Win and You're In" Suburban Stakes July 3 on a sloppy track at Belmont Park.

Unraced since then by trainer Steve Asmussen, it was a breakthrough win for the son of Honor Code  , who had competed in four grade 1 stakes as well as the Saudi Cup in his six races before the Suburban. In that stretch, he was third in both the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at the Spa and the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) last year.

Like Forza Di Oro, Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver is also on the comeback trail. After winning last year's Jockey Club Gold Cup as a 3-year-old to remain unbeaten in four starts, he was given some time off by trainer Todd Pletcher and did not return to the races until May 28 when he prevailed in an allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park. Wheeled back in the Suburban, the Super Saver   homebred raced four wide much of the way and finished an even third, suffering his first loss.

"I don't think he ran that badly on an off track last time," Pletcher said. "The way the race unfolded going a mile and a quarter at Belmont and drawing the outside is never a good thing. I thought he ran well all things considered. He kept closing and it was only his second start of the year, so hopefully he moves forward."

The Estate of James Coleman Jr.'s Chess Chief  won the March 20 New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) for trainer Dallas Stewart but the son of Into Mischief   lost his next three starts, capped by a fourth in the Bert Allen, a turf stakes at Colonial Downs.

Steve Landers' Night Ops  will try to give Brad Cox a sweep of the three featured Saturday dirt stakes for males at the meet after the trainer won the Whitney Stakes (G1) with Knicks Go  and the Travers with Essential Quality . 

A son of Warrior's Reward  , Night Ops is coming off a string of four straight second-place finishes, including two in grade 3 stakes. Most recently, he was second in the Alydar Stakes at the Spa to Art Collector , whose next start was a victory for Mott in the Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2).

The Uriah St. Lewis-owned and -trained Forewarned  will be making his 41st start with eight wins. A son of two-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Flat Out  , his best finish in a graded stakes was a third in the 2020 Westchester Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles.

St. Lewis, on the other hand, owns a Jockey Club Gold Cup victory after winning the 2018 edition with Discreet Lover  at 45-1 odds. It was that horse's 44th start.

Entries: Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, September 04, 2021, Race 12

• Grade I
• 1 1/4m
• Dirt
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 6:46 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Forza Di Oro (KY)	Junior Alvarado	126	William I. Mott	8/5
2	2Max Player (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	126	Steven M. Asmussen	5/2
3	3Chess Chief (VA)	Luis Saez	126	Dallas Stewart	15/1
4	4Happy Saver (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	126	Todd A. Pletcher	9/5
5	5Night Ops (KY)	Manuel Franco	126	Brad H. Cox	5/1
6	6Forewarned (OH)	Sonny Leon	126	Uriah St. Lewis	50/1