Sierra Leone gets another crack at Mindframe in Jockey Club Gold Cup
Having already disposed of his stablemate Fierceness, Sierra Leone gets another challenge from the Todd Pletcher barn in Mindframe for Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga. It’ll also be a chance for Sierra Leone to avenge a loss to Mindframe that came in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster.
In the Whitney here five weeks ago, Sierra Leone came with a wide-swinging late move that propelled him to an easy one-length victory. Fierceness loomed the winner at the top of the stretch but faded badly after dueling near the lead. That victory was the first for Sierra Leone this year and first since winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Sierra Leone already earned a spot in this year’s BC Classic with his Whitney win. Sunday’s winner will also earn a spot in the BC Classic, as the Jockey Club is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, meaning the race carries a fees-paid berth into the BC Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
Sierra Leone always seems to run his race, regardless of pace or track. Sometimes he gets there, sometimes he doesn’t but he’ll be running late.
“I was happy with his position. He was quite far back and I knew when those horses were stopping out in the center of the track, that he was going to have to go inside horses and catch a lot of dirt,” trainer Chad Brown told track publicity after the Whitney. “What we know about the horse now is that he’s a long, outside-run horse, like he did in the Breeders’ Cup and in the [2024 Kentucky] Derby and nearly won, so for him to cut the corner and catch a lot of dirt, which isn’t his preferred way to pass horses, making up considerable ground to then get out with blinkers full of mud and get there was a really remarkable run by him. A lot of heart.”
Brown has Flavien Prat to ride again Sunday, though Prat may have an interesting decision to make soon. Prat rides Nysos on Saturday in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar and if Nysos were to win, he too, would earn a spot in the BC Classic, leaving Prat to choose between the two.
Mindframe was a length better than Sierra Leone in the Stephen Foster, a race that didn’t have anywhere close to as quick of a pace as the Whitney. Prior to that, Mindframe won the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes and the Grade 2 Gulfstream Mile.
“I think his resume is awfully strong,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He’s run against some of the top horses, not only short, but long. He seems capable of doing just about anything.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Mindframe, hopping off White Abarrio, who’s also in this race. Mindframe is the 2-1 morning-line second choice, while Sierra Leone is the 8-5 favorite.
Pletcher and Brown each entered other runners, with Brown entering Contrary Thinking and Pletcher entering Antiquarian. Contrary Thinking is likely to contest the pace as a rabbit, used to ensure an honest pace for his stablemate Sierra Leone. Brown employed those same tactics in the Whitney, as Contrary Thinking broke slow then rushed up to push the pace, before finishing last by 68 lengths.
Antiquarian rates an actual contender at 12-1, following a narrow loss in the Grade 2 Suburban. Antiquarian has always shown talent, taking last year’s Grade 3 Peter Pan but has had some injuries and hasn’t been on a consistent race schedule. John Velazquez rides and should be right off the pace.
Phileas Fogg won the Suburban in front-running fashion and will likely be on the lead again Saturday with Kendrick Carmouche aboard. That race came at 1 1/4 miles, the same distance the field will go Sunday. That victory was also the first graded stakes victory for trainer Gustavo Rodriguez.
Highland Falls was closest to beating Sierra Leone in the Whitney, though he was never really a threat after midstretch. Trained by Brad Cox, Highland Falls won this race last year and the Whitney was his second race off a layoff, so he has license to improve Sunday. Luis Saez rides the 5-1 shot on Sunday.
Disarm and White Abarrio, third and fourth respectively in the Whitney, are back Sunday. Both horses ran well but need to improve to beat the top two. Joel Rosario rides Disarm for trainer Steve Asmussen, while Ricardo Santana Jr. rides White Abarrio for Saffie Joseph Jr.
- Saratoga concludes its 40-day meet on Monday, with a card highlighted by the Grade 1 Hopeful for 2-year-olds. The Belmont at the Big A fall meet begins Sept. 11
The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In is an international series of 93 stakes races in15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, held this year at Del Mar on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
More Horse Racing News
An avid horse racing fan and bettor, Michael Smith has developed a career in horse racing media as an editor and writer. A regular at Saratoga Race Course, Michael mainly covers New York racing but follows various other racing across the country and world.