The Mother Goose (Grade 1)- $300.000 Purse
BEL- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
July 2, 2016

This Saturday, a field of seven will be going to post for the 12th running of the Mother Goose, a Grade 1 event for three year old fillies.  It features a good mixture of fillies who were on the KYO trail and may or may not have been able to get into the big races, as well as some nice looking up and comers.  As they all come together in this field, it looks like we will have a wide open and exciting race.   The most noteworthy past winner is one that is still talked about at length today, or at least recently, is 2011 winner Lucy Van Pelt.   She won seven races over the course of her career, four which were graded stakes, with another such win being the Grade 1 Alabama at SAR.   The most prolific winner would have been the late Java Jive, who won the inaugural race in 2005.   No trainer has won the race more then once, and J Rosario is the only two-time winning jockey, taking the 2012 and 2013 races.  Let’s meet the field!

#1- Suitably Discreet (Mb Stables, ridden by Mar Garcia)- There will be nothing discreet about the way Suitably Discreet wants the field to run here. She is here to set a very quick pace, and some of the leads that she has gotten out to are stunning for our virtual world.  Based on the way she packed it in for the Grade 1 Ashland, it is unlikely that Mb Stables expects her to get out on the lead and hold everyone off here.  Either a major tactical change will be made to have her harness that speed, or she’s here to help out her stablemate, particularly with Lady Of Lourdes.

#2- Shake It Off (Australia Wide, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- The Quench filly burst onto the scene when she won the Grade 2 GP Oaks in just her third career start, a race in which sent her to the KYO.  In that race, she had a very good shot to win, but had to settle for a third place result in a dead heat.  Only Wicked Heat and Notarized Kate, two who have consistently been the best fillies in the age group since two year olds that are still performing at a high level, were better then Shake It Off.  There is never any shame in that, and if she was coming into this race off of that she would practically seem like a no-brainer favorite here.  However, she is not, and she was a little disappointing in the Grade 1 Acorn three weeks ago.  If she can shake that off, then she can beat anyone here.  There’s a lot to like with her, but this field is deep.

#3- Drill (Mb Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)– This is likely the filly that Mb Stables is pinning his hopes on, and not surprisingly she likes to come from off the pace.   She was great early in career, and scored a win in the Grade 1 DMR Debutante last September.  That’s the last time she has visited the winner’s circle, and she does have some very unimpressive racelines that have followed to go along with better outings.  Mb Stables picked her up in private sales for $250.000 in March and turned her around when she put forth a simply stunning come from behind effort to finish 3rd in the Grade 1 Ashland.   Suitably Discreet helped out that cause, and look, there she is again.

#4- Lady Of Lourdes (Yahudi Stables, ridden by J J Castellano)- Once the draw was released, Yahudi Stables has likely phoned up J J Castellano every hour to remind him not to let Lady Of Lourdes get baited into a speed duel with Suitably Discreet.  Her running style makes her the most potentially vulnerable of any in this field, and she’s going to have to simply run her race.  If she does that, she could be the horse to beat here. She’s won four out of five career starts, taking all races that were not her debut start. Most recently we saw her in the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan, where she won by two lengths, topping the likes of Laff Night Out and Swarley Kapai.  Plenty to like with her, but her start will be critical.

#5- Laffin Diplomat (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- The Diplomatic Immunity filly has consistently competed against the best in the division, and as such, some of her past performance lines might not truly showcase her as being as good as she is.  This filly is also one of the best three year olds out there right now and is coming off a solid fourth place finish in the Acorn three weeks ago.  Such as been the story of her career, but when not against the elite, she has won, such as taking the $250.000 Maid Of The Mist against NY-breds last fall.  Since she knows how to be in the picture, I really think that she may be in the catbird seat here is Lady Of Lourdes is sucked into a speed duel with Suitably Discreet. If that happens, I’m looking for her, and not necessarily Drill, to pick up the win.

#6- Minda (John Henry, ridden by R J Albarado)- She will be making her second start since being purchased by up and coming new trainer, John Henry, buying her from Pan Farms for $350.000.  She lasted one start for Pan, who bought her for $400.000 from Royalty Racing. Hopefully now, she has found a long term with John Henry.  While running for one trainer consistently, that being Royalty Racing, she was at her best, showing dominance on the LA-bred circuit.  In six LA-bred stakes, she had four wins and two second place showings.  After that, she went out to SA and won the Grade 1 SA Oaks.  She was a non factor in the both the KYO and the Acorn, and on a day with many LA-bred stakes running in Cajun country, the trainer opts for the higher purse here.   She needs to back up that confidence with a big run here.

#7- City Bus (Tiratzo, ridden by R A Baze)- Began her career much like Lady of Lourdes did, going on a four race winning streak after losing her debut race.  That streak culminated with a win in the Grade 3 Beaumont where among those she was able to beat was The Hanging Tree, who you will recall, won the Acorn a few weeks ago.  Of course, that was a seven furlong race, but it should still lead to optimism that City Bus can beat any of the top contenders here.  She would then run second in the Eight Belles, topping the likes of Drill and Laffin Diplomat.  If she was coming off of that, I’d feel great about her, but what happened last month? She was downgraded into an open allowance, and placed third in a four horse field.  Was it the distance?  Because, if it was, that doesn’t bode well for her in this race. Whatever it was, she better have her mojo back here.  If she does, she can win.

Prediction: 5-2-4-6

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES