Jockey Club Gold Cup Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup is set for September 4 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Jockey Club Gold Cup Preview and Prediction
- Race: Jockey Club Gold Cup
- Purse: $1 million
- Track: Saratoga Race Course
- Date: September 4
- Post Time: 6:46 PM (ET)
- Live: Jockey Club Gold Cup Odds: Click Here
2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup Handicapping
An excellent summer meet of racing comes to a close at Saratoga this weekend and includes a trio of graded-stakes on the last Saturday of the season.
The feature is the $1 million (G1) Jockey Club Gold Cup, which also serves as a ‘Win And You’re In’ race for the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic. A small but tough field of horses age three and up will go to the gate to race 1 1/4 miles on the Saratoga dirt.
Odds listed here are provided by Bovada’s racebook.
2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup Free Pick & Handicapping: Happy Saver Race Odds: 33-20
A lightly raced four-year-old, Happy Saver has six starts on his resume and has won five of them, including this race last year when it was run at Belmont Park rather than Saratoga.
That win closed out his 2020 season, and he opened 2021 with a victory in the allowance level ranks at Belmont in May. He was then off for a couple months before returning to run third by just over two lengths in the (G2) Suburban Handicap where a four-wide trip may have cost him.
Trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. were the winning combination in last year’s race as well.
2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup Free Pick & Handicapping: Forza Di Oro Race Odds: 5-2
Coming in on a three-race winning streak, Forza Di Oro closed out 2020 with a solid three-length win in the (G3) Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct and prepped for this event with an easy win – again by three lengths – in an allowance event at Saratoga.
He probably represents the main speed in this race and will likely go to the front and try to wire the field. However, this will be his first lifetime try at a distance over 1 1/8 miles.
Trainer Bill Mott is a three-time race winner, jockey Junior Alvarado gets the call.
2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup Free Pick & Handicapping: Max Player Race Odds: 33-10
A last-out winner when he beat Happy Saver in the Suburban, Max Player was a minor factor on the 2020 Triple Crown trail, finishing third in the (G1) Belmont Stakes and then fifth in both the (G1) Preakness and (G1) Kentucky Derby.
That Suburban win was his first in seven starts, and while he always seems to show up he has only been in the winner’s circle in three of his 10 lifetime starts. It’s notable that two of his three lifetime wins have come over wet dirt tracks.
Steve Asmussen is also a three-time winner as trainer, Ricardo Santana Jr. will be in the irons.
2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup Free Pick & Handicapping: Night Ops Race Odds: 6-1
Something of a bridesmaid, Night Ops has finished second in four consecutive races leading up to this one, and in those he was beaten by a total of three lengths combined.
He’s very consistent speed-figure wise and has good ability to sit mid-pack and just off the pace. He’ll also be stretching out over 1 1/8 miles for the first time and that could be of benefit here. Another with a good record on off tracks, where he has two wins and five in-the-money finishes in five starts.
The trainer is Brad Cox, jockey Manny Franco won the race in 2018.
Here’s My 2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup Free Pick.
It’s always tempting to take the defending race winner to come back and win again, particularly when that horse is also the pre-race favourite, as is the case here with Happy Saver.
One key difference with this event, however, is that he’ll be trying to defend his title on a different track than he won last time. That said, I’m going to go with the horse I think is showing the best form right now, and that will be Forza Di Oro.
There is very little early speed here and if Alvarado can get to the front and control the pace through the first mile it will all come down to if he can get the distance.
Full Field: Jockey Club Gold Cup Odds
(By post position)
- #1 – Forza Di Oro 5-2
- #2 – Max Player 33-10
- #3 – Chess Chief 16-1
- #4 – Happy Saver 33-20
- #5 – Night Ops 6-1
- #6 – Forewarned 40-1
What do you think of our 2021 Jockey Club Gold Cup Race Odds & Predictions? Weigh in below with a comment. We welcome your feedback.
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