Sierra Leone Returns to Defend Title in Jockey Club Gold Cup

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario) — The champion is back. This Sunday, Sierra Leone will defend his title at the Jockey Club Gold Cup, a prestigious race at Saratoga that is part of a 14-race card offering a total purse of $1 million. The race will be a crucial step towards the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where the Gun Runner colt plans to maintain his winning streak.

Trained by Chad Brown, a five-time Eclipse Award winner, Sierra Leone is coming off a strong victory in the Whitney Stakes (G1) on August 2. He settled at the back of the pack before making a decisive move in the stretch, leaving Highland Falls in his wake and earning a 109 Beyer Speed Figure, the best of his 2025 season.

“It was a very special win for the whole team,” Brown said. “Keeping him in training at four was a challenge, and this victory fully justifies the owners’ decision. His last two works were excellent; he’s arriving in peak condition.”

Sierra Leone’s performance in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic still stands out, where he won with a 112 Beyer, the highest among this weekend’s competitors. Brown is optimistic that returning to the Classic distance of 1¼ miles will help Sierra Leone prepare for the Breeders’ Cup. “I think he’s reaching the level he showed at the end of last year,” Brown added.

However, he will face stiff competition. Mindframe, trained by Todd Pletcher, is another four-year-old to watch. Mindframe previously defeated Sierra Leone in the Stephen Foster (G1) and returns to the track after a strategic freshening. Pletcher noted, “We didn’t want to face Fierceness and Mindframe in the Whitney. We decided to wait for this race to give him more time.” Mindframe will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

White Abarrio, a multiple G1 winner under trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., also poses a threat. He took last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic and is now looking to bounce back after finishing fourth in the Whitney. “I love him right now; he’s giving all the right signs,” Joseph said, hoping to see the best version of his horse on race day.

Meanwhile, Highland Falls, the defending champion owned by Godolphin and trained by Brad Cox, is eager to show improvement. After placing second to Sierra Leone in the Whitney, he is ready to prove himself. “At the 200-yard mark, I thought he could win,” said Michael Banahan, Godolphin’s bloodstock director. “He was beaten by a Classic winner, nothing to reproach.”

Other contenders include Antiquarian (Preservationist), who previously ran second to Phileas Fogg (Astern) in the Suburban (G2), and Banishing (Ghostzapper), coming off a win in the Charles Town Classic (G2). The Jockey Club Gold Cup promises an exciting contest with multiple champions and rematches, setting the stage for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Classic.