As we matriculate through the many layers of the sports world, from time to time you come across those “special” competitors. The one who clearly loves to compete and never backs down from a challenge. Always ready and full of fight, these types of players make you say now that is what it’s all about.

  Hoist The Gold is one of “those” horses in the Thoroughbred racing game. Like a hitter that always gets his hacks in, this Dallas Stewart trainee does not get cheated when he goes to post. A gutsy front-runner with speed out of the gate, this five-year-old son of Mineshaft is a threat to take it to the house gate-to-wire every time he leaves the starting gates.

  “He seems to be a horse that can handle all the things you throw at him”, says Stewart. “It doesn’t matter if its different tracks, different distances, different jockeys, he always competes. Hoist The Gold is a real honest to God race horse.”

  The Kelly’s Landing Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 29 will be the next start for Stewart’s charge. The Gold is currently winless in 2024, but his four starts have been all grade 1 events at a mile or better with his latest being a game third place finish in the Met Mile on June 9. Run at 6 ½ furlongs on the Churchill dirt, this “sprint” distance might be just what the doctor ordered.

  “I think the cutback in distance might just be perfect for him”, says the Churchill based Stewart. “We are excited for this opportunity.”

  The Kelly’s Landing has come up especially tough in 2024. As part of Stephen Foster super Saturday, this race has a very competitive eight horse field. The seven opponents of Hoist The Gold have combined to win 46 races. Breaking from post 5 under jockey Luis Saez, the gameplan is likely simple for this grandson of Tapit. Will he be able to run horses like Anarchist, Tejano Twist, Closethegamesugar, and Bango off their feet? One sure bet is he will dog gone sure try.

  The Kelly’s Landing offers a purse of $250,000 and is carded as race 10 with an expected post time of 5:31 eastern.