The retirements of Peace Rules and Sarava earlier this week have dramatically changed the landscape of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the biggest race of Belmont’s fall meet. It now looks like the 86th running of the Grade I, 1 /14-mile Gold Cup for a million dollars on Saturday will be wide-open out front, providing a dramatic conclusion to one of the hottest racing cards we’ve seen in a while.

Earlier in the day, the top sprinters in the country will run in the Grade 1 Vosburgh. The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational also has a great field, including Kitten’s Joy, the best 3-year-old running on the grass. And the turf fillies go for $750,000 in the Flower Bowl. Four Grade I races in one day – what’s the undercard?

Peace Rules was the likely favorite for Saturday’s feature, but he was retired after trainer Bobby Frankel found a filling in his right foreleg on Monday. The 4-year-old has won nine of his 19 starts, but the injury will keep him out of racing for the rest of the year.

Sarava only won three of his 17 starts, though that includes his Belmont Stakes victory in 2002, where he went off as a 70-1 long shot. After that race, Sarava was laid off for over a year due to a suspensory ligament injury. He hurt the ligament again working out at Belmont on Monday.

Also out of Saturday’s race is Seattle Fitz, who along with Peace Rules, was expected to be out front on the pace. The race is now down to seven horses.

Funny Cide will be popping out of the seventh slot, and he might find himself in front, which would certainly be a change. He got a neck out on the stretch in front of Peace Rules in the Suburban on July 3, but Peace Rules took it back, and Funny Cide was overtaken by Newfoundland as well. If Funny Cide can stand the shock of an open view, he might run away with this one – he is a very fast horse, and he stills stirs the heart. But I’m not giving away any more money on sentiment.

Newfoundland’s trainer, Todd Pletcher, has said this 4-year-old is on the improve. Clearly, his placement in this race indicates confidence on Pletcher’s part, but it’s hard to see what the horse has done to earn that confidence. In the Suburban, he was wide rating next to Funny Cide, and showed some serious game to overtake him on the stretch. But he didn’t get up to Peace Rules.

The two horses going to the post on the inside have a lot to prove, albeit for different reasons. The Cliff’s Edge comes out of slot no. 1, and this time he’s got a new rider, Gary Stevens.

We’ve seen The Cliff’s Edge run the same race over and over with former jock Shane Sellers up. He plods along in the beginning, makes a late move, and closes like a heavy door at the end. But he doesn’t quite get there: In the Travers, he lost to Birdstone, in the Jim Dandy to Purge, and in the Dwyer to Medallist. Second in three of the best wins of the year ain’t bad; maybe Stevens will give the horse a little nudge and kick him into gear sooner.

The lightly raced Love of Money takes off from position no. 2. A 3-year-old with four races in him doesn’t have much business in this race, but Love of Money is a tempting proposition nonetheless. He’s a front-running horse, and he’s won three of his four with some real daylight. Last out, in his first try at a route, he opened up 8 1 /2 lengths to finish the 1 1 /8-mile in 1:48 2 /5.

Evening Attire ran a great race last out in the Saratoga Breeder’s Cup Handicap August 22, and he won this race in 2002. He earned his lifetime high Beyer figure of 114 on his last trip, and while it’s hard to believe in a 6-year-old improving, he might be worth it for the right price.

Domestic Dispute has been running well since he got back from Dubai, but I don’t think he’s got it in him. Bowman’s Band is also going to the gate.

Here’s how it goes: Love of Money and Funny Cide get out front. Love of Money can’t handle the Belmont Backstretch: He’s never seen anything so long, and he fades. Funny Cide is overtaken by Evening Attire, while Stevens hustles The Cliff’s Edge into a position to follow that move. They duel it out in front of Funny Cide, and Newfoundland overtakes Funny Cide for the show.

Can hard-closing 3-year-old Cliff’s Edge edge out a veteran runner like Evening Attire? No. Last out, The Cliff’s Edge ran a half-mile in 50 2 /5 (it was very wet, but that’s very slow). He picked it up, improved his position, and held on to 2 1 /2 lengths off of Birdstone’s finishing time of 2:02 2 /5.Evening Attire, on the other hand, set his own closing pace last out, finishing out 1 1 /4 in a flat 2 minutes and his last furlongs run at a perfect 12-seconds each. Pace tells the tale, and Evening Attire should win this race.