Highland Falls

Highland Falls began his career as a 3-year-old and won at first asking in his career debut with a one-mile maiden victory at Ellis Park on Aug. 26, 2023. He later capped off his 3-year-old season with a 1 1/16-mile allowance win at Churchill Downs on Nov. 17.

Highland Falls started his 4-year-old campaign in the same winning fashion that he finished his 3-year-old year when victorious in an allowance optional claiming race at 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds on Jan. 13, 2024. From there it was onward and upward versus stakes competition. In his first two outings against stakes company, Highland Falls earned a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and then a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap

Highland Falls returned to Kentucky for his next graded stakes try, and this time was successful when winning the Grade 3 $275,000 Blame Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs on June 1. Sent off as the odds-on favorite in a seven-horse field in the Blame, Highland Falls stalked in mid-pack and then slowly cut into the leader's margin throughout the stretch run and eventually grinded out a one-length victory on the line.

Next, Highland Falls finished second in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup Stakes on July 20 when he got shuffled back behind a slow pace and lost to Tapit Trice. Thankfully, Highland Falls would get a chance at revenge against Tapit Trice in a much bigger spot later in the season in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Highland Falls won the Grade 1 $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup going 1 1/4 miles on the main track at Saratoga on Sept. 1. He battled for the lead much of the race against favored Arthur's Ride and took control of the race and showed no sign of slowing down through the stretch. He extended his lead and held on for an impressive four-length victory atop the seven-horse field that also included Tapit Trice. The Jockey Club Gold Cup was a Breeders' Cup Classic Series "win and you're in" race, and with his victory, Highland Falls earned an expense-paid berth into the Breeders' Cup Classic, which will be run on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Highland Falls is trained by Brad Cox for Godolphin. He was bred in Kentucky by the sire Curlin out of the mare Round Pond by Awesome Again.