Sierra Leone looks for another major triumph in the Jockey Club Gold Cup against a stern group of rivals

The defending Classic champion squares off with Mindframe, White Abarrio and company at Saratoga

Sierra Leone winning the Whitney at Saratoga / ADAM COGLIANESE / NYRA

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).- The champion returns for more. Next Sunday, at the always imposing Saratoga, Sierra Leone will look to extend his dream run when he faces a stellar field in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1-1¼ miles, dirt), the centerpiece of a 14-race card carrying a total purse of $1 million. Stakes glory won’t be the only prize on the line: the winner earns an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), where the Gun Runner colt will defend the title he captured last year.

Under the guidance of Chad Brown, a five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, Sierra Leone comes off a convincing victory in the Whitney Stakes (G1), rebounding from a series of lukewarm early-season efforts to rediscover his best form. On that August 2 afternoon, the Peter Brant, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, and Brook Smith-owned bay executed his usual game plan to perfection: settled last of nine, swept to the front in the stretch, and dominated with authority, leaving the brave Highland Falls behind and earning a 109 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest of his 2025 campaign.

“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.”

The numbers speak for themselves: Sierra Leone won the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic with a 112 Beyer, the top figure of the Sunday field. Brown is confident the return to 1¼ miles—the Classic distance—will serve as the perfect prep: “I think he’s reaching the level he showed at the end of last year. This extra prep before the Breeders’ Cup will suit him perfectly.”

But the story is far from straightforward. Awaiting him is Mindframe, another four-year-old of top-class quality trained by Todd Pletcher, coming off a win over Sierra Leone in the Stephen Foster (G1). That day, the Constitution colt scored decisively, and after a strategic freshening, he returns with his sights set on an even bigger target. “We didn’t want to face Fierceness (City of Lights) and Mindframe in the Whitney,” Pletcher explained. “We decided to wait for this race to give him more time, run him at the Classic distance, and prepare him fully.” With Irad Ortiz Jr. back aboard, the chestnut will break from post four.

Another major contender is White Abarrio, multiple G1 winner trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., who took the Whitney and the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic. After a modest fourth in his Whitney defense, the Race Day colt arrives in excellent form with optimism intact. “I love him right now; he’s giving all the right signs,” Joseph Jr. said. “I hope we see the best White Abarrio on Sunday.”

The defending champion Highland Falls is no slouch either. The Curlin colt, owned by Godolphin and trained by Brad Cox, ran second to Sierra Leone in the Whitney, showing marked improvement. “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. He’s better than ever.”

The field is rounded out by dangerous competitors including Antiquarian (Preservationist), second to Phileas Fogg(Astern) in the Suburban (G2); Phileas Fogg, who pulled the upset in that race; Banishing (Ghostzapper), coming off a win in the Charles Town Classic (G2); and Disarm (Gun Runner), always competitive at the highest level.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup promises to be much more than a mere stepping stone toward Del Mar. With multiple champions on display, rematches of past battles, and high-stakes strategies in play, the race offers a preview of what could unfold in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Sierra Leone arrives with champion credentials, but Mindframe holds the edge from their last encounter. White Abarrio aims to regain his peak form. Highland Falls wants to prove he’s ready to contend. And Saratoga, once again, will witness another thrilling chapter on the road to ultimate glory.