Guillot, Jerkens Like Chances in Gold Cup

Trainer Eric Guillot believes Moreno ran his best race ever in the July 5 Suburban Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park, so he's looking for another top effort from the 4-year-old gelding in the Sept. 27 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) at the same 1 1/4-mile distance at Belmont Park.

 

Guillot, one of the guests on a Sept. 23 national media teleconference hosted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, recalled that Moreno broke from post 11 in the Suburban and had to run hard to make the lead in the first quarter-mile. The Ghostzapper   gelding then had to fend off pressure and beat all but the late-running Zivo, who covered the distance in a quick 2:00.43.

 

"When you are the speed of the race, everything has to go your way," Guillot said. "In my opinion, through training the horse and watching his races, the Suburban was his best race."

 

Bred and owned by Southern Equine Stables, Moreno won the 1 1/8-mile Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course two starts back. Though he hasn't won at 1 1/4 miles in three starts (but has two seconds), Moreno is suited to the distance, and "probably would be better" at 1 1/2 miles, Guillot said.

 

Moreno will have to contend with two 3-year-old colts trained by Jimmy Jerkens: Magalen O. Bryant's V. E. Day (by English Channel  ) and Centennial Farms' Wicked Strong (by Hard Spun  ), the respective one-two finishers in the Aug. 23 Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens said both have trained well in the past month.

 

"It's incredible how they came out of the Travers," Jerkens said. "It's all you can hope for when you come out of a spot like that. I haven't seen anything I'm wary about going into the race."

 

Jerkens acknowledged the speed of Moreno but said he doesn't want to take his horses out of their game. Wicked Strong can hang relatively close to the front, while V. E. Day is a confirmed closer.

 

"I don't think you race to beat one horse," Jerkens said of Moreno. "You can't go against a style a horse is used to and expect him to finish. V. E. Day is a much bigger, stouter, stronger horse than he was even three months ago. And Wicked Strong has done every bit as good since (the Travers). I'd be surprised if I don't see the same type of effort out of him (in the Jockey Club Gold Cup)."

 

The field for the Jockey Club Gold Cup will be drawn Sept. 24.

 

Listen to more thoughts on Moreno from trainer Eric Guillot on the debut episode of Lenny's Place: