About the race
The Jockey Club Gold Cup is a Grade 1 race over 1 1/4 miles on dirt for three-year-olds and upwards, staged by The New York Racing Association (NYRA) for a USD 1 million purse. The winner earns a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” place in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. According to Wikipedia it was first run in 1919. NYRA ran it at the Saratoga summer meet for five years, ending with the 2025 running that earned this rating, and returned it to its traditional home at Belmont Park in 2026.
Antiquarian won at Saratoga on 31 August 2025 for Centennial Farms, trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez, beating Sierra Leone by 1 1/2 lengths in 2:02.16. The 108th running, on 18 September 2026, was the feature on opening day at the new Belmont Park. Forever Young, owned by Susumu Fujita, trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden by Ryusei Sakai, won by 3 1/4 lengths.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 August 2025 | Antiquarian | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | Centennial Farms |
From the official result.
The 2026 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2026 | Forever Young | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshito Yahagi | Susumu Fujita |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Qualifier for
- Breeders' Cup Classic (Win and You're In)
- Saratoga years
- 2021 to 2025 (according to Wikipedia); NYRA describes five years at the Saratoga summer meet
- 2026 venue
- Belmont Park, on the new track's opening day, 18 September 2026
- 2026 running
- 108th (NYRA)
Questions readers ask
When is the Jockey Club Gold Cup run?
In 2026 it was run on 18 September at Belmont Park, the opening day of the new track. The 2025 running was at Saratoga on 31 August. NYRA had not published a 2027 date by 12 October 2026.
What is the prize fund of the Jockey Club Gold Cup?
NYRA lists a purse of USD 1,000,000 for the 2026 running.
Who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2025?
Antiquarian, owned by Centennial Farms, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, won at Saratoga on 31 August 2025.
Sources
The rank and rating are from the IFHA's LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025, published 21 January 2026, which ranks races by the ratings of their first four finishers. Other facts are from the pages listed below.
- IFHA: LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025 (published 21 January 2026)
- 2026 Belmont Park stakes schedule (NYRA)
- Antiquarian wins G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup (NYRA, 1 September 2025)
- Forever Young reigns supreme in G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup as racing returns to Belmont Park (NYRA, 18 September 2026)
- 2026 Saratoga summer meet stakes schedule announcement (NYRA, 26 February 2026)
- Jockey Club Gold Cup (Wikipedia)