Overshadowed by the actions of his jockey, Kendrick Caramouche, which led to the Phileas Fogg’s disqualification from third in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, was how well Phileas Fogg ran to cross the wire third in that race.
Phileas Fogg was beaten 2 3/4 lengths by Antiquarian and finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Sierra Leone in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Soon after the break, Phileas Fogg, under Carmouche, came in on Contrary Thinking starting a chain reaction that led to jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. being unseated off Mindframe, the second choice in the race.
Phileas Fogg stalked Contrary Thinking from seven lengths off the pace, made the lead at the five-sixteenths pole, but couldn’t see it out in the stretch.
“I thought he ran good, he was running against the best horses in the country,” trainer Gustavo Rodriguez said.
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The stewards disqualified Phileas Fogg from third – and the $120,000 that went with it – and ordered him unplaced, meaning he made no money. The stewards suspended Carmouche five days, a penalty that he will not appeal and must serve the first five days of next summer’s Saratoga meet.
“We all make mistakes, I’m kind of disappointed that they took us down,” Rodriguez said. “I was happy with third place, but when they took us down it was very disappointing. Other than that, everything is good.”
Rodriguez said that Phileas Fogg came out of the Jockey Club Gold Cup in good shape and is back at Belmont Park. Rodriguez said he didn’t know what was next for Phileas Fogg, though he pretty much ruled out the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1.
“We’re not going to take him over there,” Rodriguez said.
A race like the Grade 2, $600,000 Clark on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs is something that might be considered. Since being claimed for $62,500 on July 13, 2024, by Steve Shapiro, Phileas Fogg has five wins and two seconds from eight starts. He beat Antiquarian by a head in the Grade 2 Suburban.
◗ Excellent Truth, the Grade 1 Diana winner on July 12, worked a half-mile in 48.95 seconds on Monday morning over the Oklahoma turf course at Saratoga. Excellent Truth, trained by Chad Brown, has been mentioned as a possible runner for the Grade 3 Waya Stakes on Oct. 5 at Aqueduct.
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