Sense, New Ability Were Keys to Hollywood Gold Cup

When it comes to gifts that keep on giving, the 2024 version of the Street Sense Stakes (G3) is starting to rank right up there with caramel clusters, Monty Python, and Frank Sinatra's greatest hits. Every schoolchild knows that the '24 Street Sense, run Oct. 27 at Churchill Downs, marked the first serious sighting of a future superstar, when the maiden colt Sovereignty broke through the clutter of promising 2-year-olds with a 5-length victory. His trainer Bill Mott promptly packed the son of Into Mischief in wool for the winter, convinced that even greater things stretched ahead. Good call. Seeing as there was a three-way photo for second money in the Street Sense, there was no slacking in spite of the runaway winner. Tiztastic, a son of Tiz the Law, got the nod over Sandman, by Tapit, while Dapper Moon had to settle for a noble fourth. As the 2025 season unfurled, Tiztastic won the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Sandman swept to victory in the Arkansas Derby (G1). Both colts were beaten by Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but so were Journalism, Baeza, and a whole herd of major stakes winners. Wandering down through the also-rans from the '24 Street Sense reveals a pair by the young Candy Ride (ARG) stallion Vekoma. Bracket Buster won the 2025 Oklahoma Derby (G3) and finished a distant second to Sovereignty in the strung-out Travers Stakes (G1), while Forged Steel went on to become a nagging presence in a series of black-type stakes, hitting the board often without winning. Until now. Now, Forged Steel has joined such names as Round Table, Affirmed, Gallant Man, and Seabiscuit as the winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G2). His 9 1/2-length victory May 25 at Santa Anita Park was a rousing turnaround from a role deep on the bench in a Saffie Joseph Jr. shedrow that is led by White Abarrio and Skippylongstocking. After winning the Gold Cup in 2025 with Skippylongstocking, Joseph knew California's older dirt division was ripe again for invasion. All Forged Steel had to do was run back to his allowance victory May 2 at Oaklawn Park, in which he defeated the useful ex-claimer Gewurztraminer by 1 length. It should be noted that Gewurztraminer, based at Horseshoe Indianapolis, made his next start in a $112,217 allowance optional claimer May 29 at Churchill Downs and finished third. How that reflects on Forged Steel remains to be seen. But it was Charlie Whittingham who used to warn us impatient turf writers and historians not to judge the quality of a racehorse until said horse had been dead five years. However the admonition should be applied in the case of Forged Steel, the Hall of Famer had a point. After 13 starts and knee surgery, it would have been easy to have written off Cigar as a modest turf horse with an uninspiring future. Then Bill Mott moved him to the dirt, and a streak of 16 straight victories, including the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) followed. Roy H spent the first half of his career toiling with little success for Peter Miller as an allowance horse with problem feet. When he went to the sidelines, he was barely missed. Upon his return, with improved feet and no testicles, he won the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) twice and back-to-back Eclipse Awards. This season, in addition to the invigorated version of Forged Steel, 5-year-old Corporate Power is shaping a resurrection of his own for Steve Asmussen and Courtlandt Farms. When the son of Curlin disappeared from the scene at the end of 2024, with only a minor stakes win to his name for Shug McGaughey, it looked like his $925,000 purchase price was headed down the drain. Then came his third start for Asmussen, the Alysheba Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, in which Corporate Power edged Skippylongstocking in a battle that would have buckled a lesser competitor. The Gold Cup victory of Forged Steel and the reemergence of Corporate Power add another layer to the depth of an older horse division led by Sovereignty, Journalism, Baeza, and the other two shooters from the Joseph barn—White Abarrio and Skippylongstocking. The more we see of them, the better it will be for the sport. Even in the face of high-priced purse competition from the East, Del Mar will do what it can to lure older main-track stars this summer. First comes the San Diego Handicap (G2) July 18, funded at the same $300,000 level as the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) earlier this year. Then comes the $1 million Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) Aug. 22, standing as a lonely reminder of what it used to be like to campaign the best of the division in California. There has been considerable handwringing out West over the fate of a once grand event like the Hollywood Gold Cup falling prey to what some see as a carpetbagging allowance horse from down East. On the other hand, whatever the improved Forged Steel can accomplish in stakes company going forward will help the Gold Cup cling to its tenuous grade 2 rating. Truth is, the Gold Cup has been an afterthought ever since it was adopted by Santa Anita Park after the 2014 closure of Hollywood Park. Over the past decade, winners such as Accelerate, Vino Rosso, and Improbable have at least provided the Gold Cup with a patina of class, but fields have lacked depth. It was disheartening to watch the best runners local stables could muster struggle mightily to finish within earshot of Forged Steel at the end of the mile and one-quarter. Admittedly, the $200,000 Gold Cup purse offered little in the way of incentive—you get what you pay for—but it was also an embarrassment for a race possessed of such a respected pedigree. Hopefully, if a couple hundred large is all that can be dedicated to the Gold Cup next year by track management and the Thoroughbred Owners of California, someone will step up to mercifully change the name. The California Tin Cup sounds about right.