Max Player Runs Up Score in Jockey Club Gold Cup

Trainer Steve Asmussen calls it a "dream meet."

And there are still two days—and a couple of grade 1 opportunities—to go.

During the first 38 of 40 days of racing at Saratoga Race Course, Asmussen has been in the middle of some of the most memorable moments of all.

He stood in the winner's circle there at the historic shrine of racing in upstate New York Aug. 7 when a victory by Stellar Tap  in the fifth race crowned him as North America's all-time leader in wins. 

He could be found with a wide smile in the same place after Jackie's Warrior  captured the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) and Amsterdam Stakes (G2) and Yaupon   survived being savaged by Firenze Fire  in the Forego Stakes (G1).

There was also a victory in the Adirondack Stakes (G2) by Wicked Halo  and a very game second by Midnight Bourbon  in the biggest race of the meet, the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1).

The cherry on the top—for now anyway—came Sept. 4 when Asmussen added a third grade 1 win at the meet by sending out George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player  to capture the 103rd renewal of the $955,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), which had its first edition at the Spa.

"To set the record here at Saratoga, with the fans coming back, and win a third grade 1 at the meet, it's a dream meet," Asmussen said. "It's beautiful to reflect on, but we have two grade 1s left."

Looking ahead, Echo Zulu  in the Sept. 5 Spinaway Stakes (G1) and Gunite  in the closing day Sept. 6 Hopeful Stakes (G1) will be hard-pressed to match Max Player's performance in the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, in which his decisive four-length victory over 2020 winner Happy Saver  stamped him as a contender for the Nov. 6 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.

"That was the best to date and hopefully he'll go better," Asmussen said. "He physically looks great. He's matured wonderfully and he's made a beautiful older horse. He's getting strong and running his best races at the right time."

How's this for a super excited Steve Asmussen ,cheering Max Player home shoulder to shoulder alongside the Saratoga faithful. Doesn't get much better than this
Congrats to MAX PLAYER, Steve Asmussen, @RSantana_Jr and all connections. pic.twitter.com/DJ8nyn0Yl1

— TheOlBallCoach1 (@theolballcoach1) September 4, 2021

While the connections pocketed $535,000 for the victory, they also saved the Breeders' Cup some cash. Though the Jockey Club Gold Cup is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, Max Player had already secured a free spot by virtue of winning the July 3 Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park, also at the same 1 1/4-mile distance as the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Though the Suburban came on a sloppy track at 11-1 odds, Saturday's victory in 2:02.49 on a fast track showed how that last effort has become the rule rather than the exception.

After a 3-year-old campaign in which he was third in the Travers and Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and he was unplaced in four starts before the Suburban, the 4-year-old son of Honor Code   has suddenly emerged as a championship threat.

"I think he has a lot more in the tank if he needs it and he's going to need it in the Breeders' Cup," Hall said. "We're really excited about the Breeders' Cup. We just want to rest him up, train him out there in California and put everything we've got into the Breeders' Cup. What an honor to win two 'Win and You're In' races. What a horse!"

Hall was hardly alone in his celebration as he's the founder and president of SportBLX Thoroughbreds, which has sold microshares of Max Player to roughly 600 people for as little as $100. About 30 of those owners were on hand at the Spa and reveled in the victory.

"Racing has been a wonderful experience for me and we wanted to share that experience with people by bringing the cost down and, frankly, it doesn't matter if you own the whole horse or a share. It's still exciting. Overall this is great for racing," Hall said. "The people we brought today, we brought them into the champagne room after the race and they had the time of their lives."

So did Max Player.

Bred in Kentucky by K & G Stables, the produce of the Not For Love  mare Fools in Love  was razor-sharp after a two-month layoff. When 6-5 favorite Forza Di Oro  shot out for the lead from the rail, a hustled Max Player and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. were a half-length behind after a half-mile in :48.70.

Both Asmussen and Hall said bringing out the early speed in Max Player has played a key role in his turnaround from a closer who collected minor shares of the purse.

"They realized they have to stay close to the pace with him, they can't make up that much ground," Hall said. "Ricardo knew he had to get him out of the gate and he rode a perfect race. He kept him in striking position the whole time."

Don Alberto Stable's Forza Di Oro, racing beyond 1 1/8 miles for the first time, weakened as the more experienced Max Player forged to the front leaving the quarter pole and the son of Speightstown   began to lose ground.

By the eighth pole, Max Player, the 7-2 third choice ($9.60) was ahead by a length and drawing away as Wertheimer and Frere's Happy Saver, the 2-1 second choice who was fourth after six furlongs in 1:13.14, moved into second in the final yards.

"For him to do this on a fast track in the Jockey Club Gold Cup here at Saratoga, it is very satisfying," Asmussen said. "This is who he is, and I thought this was a dominating win."

The victory was the fourth in 11 starts for Max Player, a half brother to grade 2 winner Seahenge  and grade 3-placed Urban Bourbon . He went unsold for $150,000 from the Lane's End consignment at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

He is the fifth foal to race and fifth winner from Fools in Love, who also has a 2-year-old colt named Homeric , a yearling filly by Frankel , and a weanling Ulysses  colt.

Happy Saver, a son of Super Saver   trained by Todd Pletcher, was second in the field of six by a half-length over Forza Di Oro.

"I thought he ran very well," Pletcher said. "We got bottled up in behind horses with a pace-less race. He ran on well, but we'd benefit from a more truly run race. I'm proud of his race."

Trainer Bill Mott offered no excuses for Forza Di Oro's effort.

"I'm disappointed that he didn't get the 10 furlongs," Mott said.

Fans Make Most of Final Saturday

A paid crowd of 30,266 was on hand for the final Saturday of the meet, a card which included the shifting of the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the $600,000 Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) from Belmont Park to the Spa.

The total handle checked in at $29,842,751. Last year, without fans in attendance due to COVID-19, the handle for the final Saturday of the 2020 meet was $21.3 million.

Video: Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1)