Highland Falls gives Godolphin the American Jockey Club Gold Cup title

Highland Falls gave the Godolphin team the title of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, a Group 1 race for horses over a distance of 2000 meters on sand, which took place at dawn yesterday at the famous Saratoga Racecourse in the United States. Under the supervision of his trainer Brad Cox, Highland Falls achieved his first victory in the highest-ranked and international Group 1 races, and his fifth in his career limited to nine participations. The Jockey Club Gold Cup title also gave the four-year-old Godolphin team colt the opportunity to book a ticket to participate in the famous Breeders’ Cup Classic race, to follow in the footsteps of his father, the horse Curlin, who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic title in the 2007 edition, in addition to confirming the nobility of his lineage descended from his dam Round Bond, who previously won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff race in 2006.

Flavien Pratt knew how to lead Highland Falls to a good start, positioning himself in a prominent position throughout the race, and overcoming some early congestion, to settle for second place by a length behind the Whitney Stakes champion, the American horse Arthurs Ride, before Flavien unleashed the Godolphin colt in the closing stages away from the inner fence, and rushed to the lead, crossing the finish line in first place in a time of 2 minutes, 3 seconds and 25 hundredths of a second, four lengths ahead of the second-placed American horse Byrnes, ridden by jockey Brian Joseph and trained by Charlie D. Fox, while the American horse Desarm, ridden by trainer Steven Asmus and led by jockey Joel Rosario, came in third. “The plan was to go out and put Arthur’s Ride under pressure, which Flavian did very well, getting Highland Falls going strong going into the first turn, then slowing down and putting pressure back on the back foot,” trainer Brad Cox said.

“Highland Falls has been going really well and I think we were a bit hesitant with him last time at Monmouth and he needs to get going and we are convinced he is a horse for the mile and a quarter and he has proven that with this win,” he added.