In The Money Telegraph
Friday, September 18, 2026 · By ITM Staff
A New Belmont Opens — and Forever Young Christens It
It’s a landmark day for the sport. After three years and roughly $450 million, the rebuilt Belmont Park reopens this afternoon, and it does so in style — the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup, a “Win and You’re In’’ to the Breeders’ Cup Classic, goes as Race 5 with a post time around 4:14 p.m. ET, live on FOX. Opening day is sold out, there’s a morning ribbon-cutting, and Dierks Bentley performs. It’s the first Gold Cup back at Belmont since 2021, after four runnings at Saratoga.
The star is the Japanese superstar Forever Young, the reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, sent off the 3-5 morning-line favorite in his first start since a narrow defeat in the Dubai World Cup in March. The hoped-for showdown with Sovereignty won’t happen — the reigning Horse of the Year is out with a foot abscess — and with Banishing and Chunk of Gold both pointed elsewhere, a field of seven has come down to five. Forever Young faces Bill Mott’s pair Baeza and Stars and Stripes, plus Phileas Fogg and Render Judgment. Any Forever Young–Sovereignty rematch now waits for the Breeders’ Cup itself. PTF has a full horse-by-horse guide to the race at At The Races — his pick is Baeza, the frustrating but talented closer he thinks may catch Forever Young in just the right pace setup. Read PTF’s Gold Cup guide → He and JK also went through the opening-day card, and JK is on television for America’s Day at the Races. Watch below.
The Tour Hits Belmont — and the Playoffs Are Near
Fittingly, this week’s ITM Horseplayers Tour feeder runs over the new Belmont’s opening card. It’s the usual $20 Pick & Pray, with the house cut going to Breeders’ Cup Charities — and the regular season is nearly done. Finish in the top four today and you punch into the season-ending Playoffs, which begin October 3 and culminate in a $10,000 BCBC seat for the winner; crack the top 10% and you advance to Saturday’s BCBC qualifier as well. Enter this week’s feeder →
Also Racing Friday
Presque Isle Downs. It’s Masters Day, the biggest card of the PID meet, topped by the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters at 8:36 p.m. ET. Chance Rains has the whole stakes-laden program. Rains’ card →
Monmouth at the Meadowlands. New Jersey’s turf season shifts north, opening a nine-night run at the Meadowlands with a six-race, all-grass card and a 7:00 p.m. ET first post. Eric Solomon has it. Solomon’s card →
Laurel Park. Will Humphrey has top picks and trip notes across the card. Humphrey’s tips & trips →
Los Alamitos. Dean Keppler makes Here On Business his best bet in Race 5. Keppler’s card →
ITM Plus
A New Era at Belmont, the Road to Keeneland
Belmont reopens, the Tour season winds toward its playoffs, and the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland is now on the horizon. ITM Plus members get daily written selections, the members’ bet share, exclusive shows, and full coverage the rest of the way.
More all weekend at inthemoneypodcast.com and on the ITM YouTube channel, with premium coverage on ITM Plus.
