Bright Future, Proxy Aim for Breeders' Cup Classic

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said he was pleased with the effort from Bright Future in his nose victory over Proxy in the Sept. 2 $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Pletcher said the 4-year-old son of Curlin had emerged from the race in good order. "He looks excellent and came out of the race well," said Pletcher. "Happy guy." Bright Future placed his name in the conversation of top older horses with a prominent score in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, guided by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano from one length off the pace set by Warrior Johny to claim the lead at the one-mile call before facing a strong challenge from post-time favorite Proxy in mid-stretch. Bright Future dug in gamely to the inside of Proxy and fended off his foe by a nose in a final time of 2:03. "He got the trip we were hoping to get in a good stalking position and a good rhythm," said Pletcher, who won his second Jockey Club Gold Cup after taking the 2020 edition with Happy Saver. "He had to fight to the wire—I was happy (he got) his nose down just in time." Pletcher added he was not surprised to see such determination from Bright Future, who entered from a strong 4 3/4-length score in a nine-furlong optional claimer on July 21 at the Spa after a distant off-the-board effort in the 12-furlong Brooklyn Stakes (G2) in June. "He's always been competitive and he's essentially run well in all of his races except the Brooklyn," said Pletcher. "That (the Brooklyn) was kind of a trip that he was always kind of bottled up and never really able to get into a comfortable rhythm, which seems to be a key component to having any success in those type of races. Aside from that, he's always been very competitive." For his victory, Bright Future secured a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park, where he will likely face his champion 2-year-old colt stablemate Forte. Pletcher said Bright Future will train up to the Classic and that he believes the charismatic colt belongs in the mix of top older horses. "I haven't discussed it all with the team, but that (training up) would be my first reaction," said Pletcher. "It appears to be a wide-open division at the moment, so I think he's improving at the right time." Proxy pointed to Classic Trainer Michael Stidham expressed a strong sense of pride in Godolphin homebred Proxy who, despite lacking racing room in the backstretch, was able to launch a strong stretch drive to come up a nose shy of victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Proxy, a son of multiple champion sire Tapit, has added to a consistent record during his 5-year-old season which includes victories in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in April and the grade 3 Monmouth Cup in July. His lone off-the-board efforts this season took place in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) in January at Gulfstream Park (fifth) and the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) July 1 at Ellis Park (eighth), where he drew the rail both times. Proxy also drew post 1 in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. "The one-hole has been a huge detriment to us all year long," Stidham noted. "If you look at his only bad races, they were both from the one-hole in the Pegasus and the Stephen Foster. When I saw we drew the one hole again here, it was very depressing, but he did overcome a lot of it (Saturday) and almost won in spite of it." Nevertheless, Stidham couldn't be happier with his talented horse's effort and said the performance was worthy enough to try the Breeders' Cup Classic. "He certainly stamped himself in that top group to go to the Breeders' Cup," Stidham said. "I would say right now, we're looking at just going straight to the Breeders' Cup." Prior to the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Proxy's lone 1 1/4-mile start took place in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March, where he made up eight lengths to finish second beaten a neck by Stilleto Boy. "The mile and a quarter definitely helps him," Stidham said. "He just came up short both times. It's right in his wheelhouse. We'll see how it sets up, but we just hope we don't draw the one hole again." Stidham and Godolphin have teamed up to campaign a number of graded stakes winners, most notably Mystic Guide, who captured the Dubai World Cup (G1) in March 2021, as well as Proxy's older half sister Micheline—a graded stakes winner on grass. "It makes my job easier because Godolphin allows us as the trainer to do the right things for the horse," Stidham said. "That's what's so important in this business: putting the horse first. When you do that, it pays dividends like it is right now with Proxy. We had the same program with Mystic Guide. The patience paid off and it took us to the Dubai World Cup and we won a $12 million race because of it." Proxy, out of the grade 1-winning Include mare Panty Raid, now boasts an overall record of 6-7-2 from 19 starts with $2,224,970 in earnings.