Go Between now favored for Hollywood Gold Cup

Heatseeker, the original 7-5 morning-line favorite for the Hollywood Gold Cup, was scratched from Saturday's race due to swelling in his left front ankle.

The 7-2 second pick when the field was announced on Thursday, Go Between was the Santa Anita Handicap runner-up behind Heatseeker this year. The five- year-old will be ridden by Garrett Gomez and remains number seven in the program.

Go Between, trained by Bill Mott for Peter Vegso, has finished second his last two starts in both the Big 'Cap and the Ben Ali as the 1-2 favorite. He began the year by winning the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita.

The chestnut horse has earnings of just over $2 million with seven wins in 24 lifetime starts.

Tiago is now the 3-1 second choice after an initial line of 9-2. The four- year-old's lone victory this year was the Oaklawn Handicap where he defeated Heatseeker by a head.

In his last start he was second to Heatseeker in the Californian. Tiago was fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap after he opened 2008 by finishing third in the San Fernando Stakes and second in the Strub Stakes.

Trained by John Shirreffs for Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss, Tiago has Mike Smith set to ride and will be number four for betting purposes. Tiago, a half- brother to 2005 Kentucky Derby victor Giacomo, has won five of 14 career starts for better than $1.7 million.

Student Council and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan slide into the third morning-line slot at 9-2. The six-year-old will wear saddle-cloth number six in the nine horse field.

Owned by Millennium Farms, Student Council won the Pimlico Special in his last start and will run at his fourth different track for the fourth straight race. Trainer Steve Asmussen, facing a possible suspension in Texas, trains Student Council who has won eight of 27 career races for $1.3 million.

Here is the revised field for the Gold Cup in post position order: Mast Track, Tyler Baze 12-1; Perfect Drift, Victor Espinoza 8-1; Tiago, Mike Smith 3-1; Racketeer, Joel Rosario 8-1; Student Council, Shaun Bridgmohan 9-2; Go Between, Garrett Gomez 5-2; McCann's Mojave, Frank Alvarado 12-1; Big Booster, Corey Nakatani 8-1 and Spice Route, Alex Solis 15-1.

Absent from the Hollywood Gold Cup will be Lava Man who has won the last three renewals. The seven-year-old is being held back from the race by trainer Doug O'Neill after a third place finish in the Charles Whittingham Handicap three weeks ago.

In a 45 race career, Lava Man has won 17 times and earned $5.2 million.

O'Neill said that he was more likely to run Lava Man in the $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 20.

The Gold Cup will televised on ESPN2 with a post-time of 7:30 p.m. (et).