Skippylongstocking takes Hollywood Gold Cup; King of Gosford, Be Your Best rule turf

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. teamed up to turn a big-race double on Memorial Day at Santa Anita. After Be Your Best wired the $301,000 Gamely (G1), Skippylongstocking prevailed as the odds-on favorite in the $201,000 Hollywood Gold Cup (G2). 

The Monday stakes action concluded with the Phil D’Amato-trained King of Gosford rallying in time in the $302,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1).

Hollywood Gold Cup (G2)

Facing the remnants of a denuded older male division out west, Florida shipper Skippylongstocking was bet down to 4-5 favoritism in a short field. The 1 1/4-mile distance was perhaps the slight question mark, considering that he’d been unplaced in his only previous attempts at 1 3/16 miles. But the multimillionaire had placed third in the 2022 Belmont (G1), and as a son of Curlin’s classic-winning Exaggerator, he had pedigree claims to stay this trip. 

Skippylongstocking summoned those genetic reserves and his class edge to wear down Midnight Mammoth after a long drive. Ortiz had him well placed within striking range of the pace carved out by Packs a Wahlop through splits of :22.55, :46.33, and 1:10.87. 

When the stalking Midnight Mammoth took over midway on the far turn, Skippylongstocking covered his move, and the two pulled away from the rest. The favorite finally asserted by three-quarters of a length in 2:01.64.

“He relaxed for me beautifully,” Ortiz said of the winner, who returned $3.60. “We were planning to stay back and not be on the lead. I was happy where he was, and he went on from there. The horse on the inside (Midnight Mammoth) was fighting back, and my horse was fighting back as well.”

Midnight Mammoth’s trainer, Craig Dollase, was rightly proud of his effort.

“This horse has overcome a lot,” Dollase said, “and this was like a win for us.”

Another six lengths adrift in third came Extensive. Tarantino rounded out the superfecta, followed by Il Bellator, Packs a Wahlop, and Arrowthegreat.

Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking boosted his bankroll to $3,661,610 while advancing his line to 32-11-3-7. His first lucrative win came in the 2022 West Virginia Derby (G3). The past two editions of the Charles Town Classic (G2) have padded his account, along with the 2024 Oaklawn H. (G2). 

Skippylongstocking turned a three-peat in the March 8 Challenger (G3) in track-record time at Tampa Bay Downs, and he was exiting a third in his Oaklawn ‘Cap title defense. Aside from the Belmont, his other high-profile placings include the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), 2024 Stephen Foster (G1), and the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup (G1).

“He’s just a hard-knocking horse who takes his track with him everywhere he goes,” Joseph observed. “He’s a sound horse, and he’s very strong mentally. We’ll be forever grateful with him.”

Gamely (G1)

Michael J. Ryan’s homebred Be Your Best was not at her best last time out on a rain-affected course at Keeneland, but different dynamics here propelled her to her first Grade 1 victory. As the controlling speed on firm turf, she ran her rivals ragged over 1 1/8 miles in a sparkling 1:46.26. The Irish-bred daughter of Muhaarar, the 2.10-1 second choice, rewarded her backers with $6.20.

No Show Sammy Jo, the 1.90-1 favorite, hinted that it might not be her day when she broke through the gate prior to the start and had to be reloaded. Although she recovered to chase Be Your Best through fractions of :22.99, :46.15, and 1:09.75, No Show Sammy Jo was effectively done by the top of the lane.

Be Your Best was long gone by the time that Lady Claypoole and Liguria closed for the minor awards. Runner-up Lady Claypoole could get no nearer than 2 3/4 lengths at the wire. 

Expensive Queen, who also pinged the gate open prematurely but stayed in her place, checked in fourth. Public Assembly, No Show Sammy Jo, and the eased Khinjani completed the order of finish.

Alpha Bella and Where’s Your Ring were both withdrawn in favor of dirt targets. On Sunday, Alpha Bella wound up a non-threatening fourth behind Seismic Beauty in the Santa Margarita (G2), and Where’s Your Ring is entered in Saturday’s Shawnee (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Ortiz noted that the complexion of the Gamely changed with the scratches. 

“To be honest, when we had both scratches, and both got speed. So I talked to the trainer and said it looked like we were the only speed in the race, and he told me, ‘Ride your race, let ‘em beat her.’ 

“Last time (when eighth in the Jenny Wiley [G1]), the ground was too soft. I thought she would like this ground more today, it’s more like Gulfstream’s firm turf. I let her relax and let her be happy. When I turned for home, I still had something in the tank.”

Be Your Best became a millionaire with $1,086,559 in earnings from her 20-6-3-2 record, reflecting graded wins in last fall’s Long Island (G3) and Suwannee River (G3) and in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2). For original trainer Horacio de Paz, she scored in the 2022 P.G. Johnson S. and placed in such major races as the 2023 Del Mar Oaks (G1) and American Oaks (G1).

Shoemaker Mile (G1)

King of Gosford, an even second in his course-and-distance prep in the April 20 American (G3), moved forward to score a new career high in the Shoemaker. A more suitable race shape, combined with a tactical adjustment by Flavien Prat, proved decisive. With a stronger tempo on tap, the British-bred was allowed to relax further back early and pack a stronger punch late.

As expected, free-wheeling Goliad served up a fast pace in :22.92, :45.68, and 1:09.47. Cabo Spirit, who had gotten away as the lone speed in the American, adapted to a tracking role and pounced when Goliad tired. Mi Hermano Ramon appeared to be timing his bid just right, accosting a stubborn Cabo Spirit in midstretch, only to have King of Gosford swoop past them both. 

Along in the final strides, King of Gosford thrust his neck in front in 1:33.52. The son of dual-hemisphere sire Zoustar returned $10.80.

“I thought they were going fast enough in the first quarter,” Prat said. “Once the field started to spread out, we started to pick it up on the backside. I was just hoping they would come back to me. I thought about going inside, but knew he would have a good turn of foot, so we went around them and he got there.”

Mi Hermano Ramon nipped Cabo Spirit for runner-up honors. Formidable Man, the 2.60-1 favorite, rallied for a belated fourth. Next came Atitlan, Seal Team, Zio Jo, Goliad, and Seminole Chief

Campaigned by Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig, and Jeremy Peskoff, King of Gosford sports a mark of 17-7-3-2, $719,695. The chestnut won his first three stateside starts sprinting, including last year’s John Shear S. and Desert Code S. He later succeeded around two turns in the restricted Let It Ride S. and Mathis Mile (G2). 

His resume includes placings in the Eddie D (G2) versus older horses on Santa Anita’s downhill course, the La Jolla H., and the 1 1/8-mile Hollywood Derby (G1), where he was runner-up to Formidable Man. King of Gosford gained revenge here.