City of Light Stretches Out in Gold Cup at Santa Anita

Every time the questions have gotten more daunting and taxing for City of Light, his answers have been remarkably astute.

In his first try against graded stakes company, the son of Quality Road  captured the Malibu Stakes (G1) in December. In his first attempt beyond sprint distances, the 4-year-old colt prevailed in a duel adding the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap (G2) to his résumé. With his options growing with every success, the latest test being put to the Michael McCarthy-trained charge is handling the classic distance of 10 furlongs when he heads a field of seven entered for the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1) May 26.

It's been a fun game for City of Light's connections as they try to find his ceiling. Never worse than second in seven career starts, City of Light broke his maiden at second asking going six furlongs at Del Mar in September and ended his sophomore season with a gate-to-wire, two-length Malibu score. In his season debut, the bay colt took the March 10 Triple Bend Stakes (G1) and then showed good mettle in the Oaklawn Handicap to prevail by a neck over fellow grade 1 winner Accelerate.

"It's been a nice progression from the Malibu to now," McCarthy said. "We tossed and turned about going to New York for the (grade 1) Met Mile, but the bottom line was, the horse relaxed so nicely going a mile and an eighth in the Oaklawn Handicap, we thought it was worth going ahead and finding out if a mile and a quarter was well within his scope.

"It opens a lot of options for us coming into the summer."

Owned by Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren, City of Light has won four of his seven starts with earnings of $940,600.

After bumping up unsuccessfully against the 10-furlong distance during his loss in the $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) last season, Accelerate showed he had that stamina in him when he captured the Santa Anita Handicap Presented by San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino (G1) by 5 1/2 lengths over a wet-fast Santa Anita Park surface March 10.

The John Sadler trainee has been out of the top three just twice in 18 career starts and can take it to the best of his division on his best day, as he demonstrated when he defeated champion Arrogate  in the TVG San Diego Handicap (G2) in July.

Graded stakes winner Pavel hasn't won in five starts since taking the Smarty Jones Stakes (G3) at Parx Racing in September and enters the Gold Cup off a fourth-place finish in the Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline (G1) March 31. The son of Creative Cause  opened his 2018 campaign with a fourth-place run behind Accelerate in the Feb. 3 San Pasqual Stakes (G2).

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was still deciding as of May 24 where to run Full of Luck, who is also entered in Saturday's Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T).

Entries: Gold Cup at Santa Anita S. (G1)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, May 26, 2018, Race 5

• Grade I
• 1 1/4m
• Dirt
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 2:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Little Scotty (KY)	Asa Espinoza	121	Vladimir Cerin	15/1
2	2Accelerate (KY)	Victor Espinoza	125	John W. Sadler	2/1
3	3Prince of Arabia (KY)	Stewart Elliott	121	James M. Cassidy	12/1
4	4City of Light (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	121	Michael W. McCarthy	9/5
5	5Dr. Dorr (KY)	Joseph Talamo	121	Bob Baffert	5/2
6	6Pavel (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	121	Doug F. O'Neill	5/1
7	7Full of Luck (CHI)	Flavien Prat	121	Jerry Hollendorfer	15/1