First Captain adds to banner weekend for West Point Thoroughbreds

West Point Thoroughbreds, fresh off their 1,000th career victory as a syndicate, has even more to look forward to Saturday with three live contenders in $1 million stakes, including dual graded stakes winner First Captain, who will seek his first Grade 1 victory in the 10-furlong Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and up at Saratoga Race Course

In addition, Flightline looks to keep an undefeated record afloat in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, while graded stakes winner Cavalry Charge will contest the Grade 3 Mint Million going one mile at Kentucky Downs.

West Point founder and CEO Terry Finley said Saturday’s lineup ranks at the peak of his 31 years of being involved in thoroughbred racing.

“This is Number One, no doubt,” Finley said. “A couple of people have come up to me and said, ‘You all deserve this.’ But you don’t deserve anything in this business. It’s a privilege and not a right. Racing has been so good to me and to my family. I’m okay with whatever happens.

“You can’t really plan for these types of weekends. We knew if things stayed on track early in the summer, we knew we could be looking at a very special weekend,” Finley added. “For the most part, it’s turned out to be great. We’re running 19 horses between [Thursday] and Sunday. It’s probably the biggest weekend in terms of numbers and certainly opportunity and chances to get lucky.”