Red Cardinal flies home in Belmont Gold Cup

An Irish-bred, trained in Germany, and pointing for a race in Australia, won the Belmont Gold Cup on Saturday at Belmont Park.

Red Cardinal made a bold move on the far turn in the two-mile Gold Cup, and the budding long-distance specialist has a long-term goal of the Melbourne Cup in November.

“The main goal is the first Tuesday in November,” trainer Andreas Wohler said in reference to the ‘Race That Stops a Nation.’ “We’ll give him a break and then bring him back for a race in France and then either have his final race in Germany or Australia (before the Melbourne Cup).”

Red Cardinal is a five-year-old Montjeu gelding, but the Gold Cup was only his ninth career start. He has won both his races beyond 1 1/2 miles.

“He started very late, but he keeps improving, and he’s still progressing,” Wohler said. “We’re very happy.”

Red Cardinal led a parade of foreign-based horses, as St Michel chased home for second with Now We Can third and Hunter O’Riley fourth. Interestingly, Red Cardinal was the only international starter in the superfecta who had his regular jockey, with Eduardo Pedroza making the trip for the ride. The other aforementioned also-rans had U.S.-based jockeys.

“My horse did everything right; I just got beat by a better horse,” said Irad Oritz Jr., who was aboard St Michel.

Wohler won the Melbourne Cup in 2014 with Protectionist.