British Isles Looks for Big 'Cap/Gold Cup Double

Maybe it's the air travel, but horses that start outside of California between the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G2) have done well in recent years. That could be a good sign for British Isles , winner of this year's Santa Anita Handicap and on target to add the 1 1/4-mile Gold Cup, contested for $200,000 May 25 at Santa Anita Park.

Accelerate  in 2018, Melatonin  in 2016, and Game On Dude  in 2013 all won the Big 'Cap/Gold Cup double after out-of-state forays between those races, the first two traveling to Arkansas and each running second, and the third to West Virginia, where he was victorious. Lava Man , who famously didn't perform well outside his home state of California, won the two races twice in the same year, in 2006 by not leaving the state and in 2007 by leaving the country.

British Isles, trained by Richard Baltas for owners Slam Dunk Racing, Deborah Baltas, and Cynthia McClanahan, took a Kentucky route. After spending much of his career on the turf, the 5-year-old gelded son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify   switched surfaces to dirt this year. Fifth in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), he won the Big 'Cap and then ran sixth at Keeneland in the April 18 Ben Ali Stakes (G3), beaten 11 1/4 lengths.

"He's doing great—he's had a couple of good breezes," said Nick Cosato, head of Slam Dunk Racing. "We have (Joel) Rosario on him—I'm kind of excited about that—and I don't think he could be coming into the race any better."

Cosato felt that the Ben Ali field was particularly tough for a grade 3 race, and an inquiry in the race before left the Ben Ali runners with more time than usual in the paddock, which may have unsettled him.

"He's not the most patient individual," Cosato said. "He kicked the stall wall a couple of times. Finally, Richie's assistant got him out on the grass, and he kind of mellowed out."

The race went off 16 minutes after the scheduled post time. "I don't think that helped him," Cosato said.

British Isles drew the outside post in the Gold Cup under Rosario, who is now riding regularly at Santa Anita. British Isles faces four others, with Subsanador  the biggest earner with a bankroll of more than $1 million. He and British Isles are the race's only stakes winners.

A 7-year-old son of Fortify , Subsanador began racing in his native Argentina, where he was a multiple group 1 winner. He first started in the United States as a 4-year-old in December 2023. The next year, he won the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park and the California Crown Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita that was originally named the Goodwood Handicap and continued for several years as the Awesome Again, but is now the Goodwood Stakes again.

Following the California Crown, Subsanador was away from the races for 18 months. Trained by Richard Mandella, he returned this year with two fourths, in the March 29 San Carlos Stakes (G3) going 7 furlongs at Santa Anita and the 1 1/16-mile Lake Ouachita Stakes May 2 at Oaklawn Park after stumbling at the start.

Mike Smith rides from post 3.

Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has entered Forged Steel , who has been competing in the Southeast. The 4-year-old son of Vekoma   has not won a stakes, though he has placed in four, including the March 28 Temperence Hill Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Joseph has named Flavien Prat to ride.

Graded stakes-placed Mc Vay  and stakes-placed Malarchuk  round out the field.