The Mother Goose (Grade 2)- $250.000 Purse
BEL- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
June 30, 2018

As the deadline to enter the race drew near, it appeared like the Mother Goose would go with a very small field. However, there would be several entries that were made late, giving us a respectable field size of seven for this Grade 2 race. It’s the 14th time that the race will be won, and it has seen thirteen different winners in its history. Last year, it was Our Athletes scoring the win with Blackberry. As of right now, she has not won another stake since then, but she is still active, so that could change. Our Athletes will be won of a few trainers in here in search of becoming the first two-time Mother Goose winner. Let’s meet his entry, as well as the other six in this look through the field!

#1- Blue Jeans (First Class Stable, ridden by B J Hernandez Jr)- On the rail, this Levi Strauss filly had several good runs during the KYO chase, but missed out on collecting enough points to make the race. Not to worry, she went to PIM during PRK weekend and would win the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan over the sloppy going. She has consistently run in top level races, but is in the best form of her career right now, as the Black Eyed Susan follows up a second place finish at the FG Oaks in March. That day, she beat Most Charming, who starts next to her here, but that one went on to finish second in the KYO. The timing is right, and the Blue Jeans fit. She may get it done. A First Class Stable win would continue the race’s trend of a new winning trainer every year. I’m giving her the nod.

#2- Most Charming (Mb Stables, ridden by J Bravo)- The only entry by the trainer in this race, and I am not sure if I should interpret that as him just having a high level of confidence in this one. That would be deserved, as she is coming off a string of good starts. We’ll throw out the Acorn, not that it was bad finish, but because it was too short of a race for her. This filly is most charming when she gets to run more then a mile, which includes running second in the KYO. In her last few races, she has taken a liking to coming from off the pace, so we will need to be looking out for her in the stretch.

#3- Eponine (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J Talamo)- After a good looking allowance win, Eponine is stepping up to the big time now as she attempts her first stake of any type right here. This is certainly earned, as she has been very consistent in her eight race career, only failing to hit the board once. It took her a little while to break her maiden, and that is what has set her back from competing at this level. She’ll carry eight more pounds in this race then she did in that allowance, which is worth noting, but she can come out on top if she duplicates that effort.

#4- This Means War (John Henry, ridden by J J Castellano)- This filly is stepping up in class as well, moving up from the ungraded and state bred stakes to her first graded try. She has two wins, both of which came early in her career. When she should have been continuing to build off that form, she got caught up in horse selling park, so between September of 2017, and March of this year, she made only one start, but was sold three times. John Henry has had her for two races, and has kept her in optional claimers. She didn’t win either of them, and this will be her first try at going over a mile. A recent work at a mile shows promise, so we’ll see.

#5- Molly Magne (Gdp Inc, ridden by M J Sanchez)- During the colder months, there was a period in which Molly Magne seemed as though she might be one of the top contenders for the KYO. A strong finish to the two year old campaign saw good runs in a couple of KYO prep races, then ultimately a win in the Santa Ysabel. And that’s where the good news ends. She never carried that momentum, and in the KYO, she was a disappointment. Now, after about two months of rest, she gets a chance to get her career going in the right direction again. Needs a career jolt, and maybe this is it.

#6- Out Of Wedlock (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)- This Unsuited filly has more stake experience then her stablemate in the race, but she also needs to prove herself a bit. At the ungraded stake level, and with state breds, she has been strong, as evidenced by a close second at the $200.000 Critical Eye right here at BEL last month. She also won the Lady Finger at FG last year. Though when moved up to graded in two tries, she’s been well out of the money. She’s hit the board in every other start. Time for her to step up, this is a good spot for it to happen.

#7- Line Drive (Our Athletes, ridden by F Geroux)- Our final entry comes is a filly by Hardline is very experienced at running at the graded level. The wins have not always been there, but that has not stopped the trainer from continuing to believe in her, and put her out there. She’s always shown promise, as evidenced by a fifth place showing in the BC Juvenile Fillies. There were a few other off the board races that followed, but she finally returned to the winning circle in her last start, winning the Miss PS (Grade 3) over sloppy going at PIM. What she needs to do now is back that up with another strong effort.

Prediction: 1-2-7-3

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES