Golden Rod (Grade 2) (KYO)- $400.000 Purse
CD- For Fillies Two Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
November 25, 2023
Like its companion race, the KY Jockey Club, the Golden Rod provides points for the big race that will be held here over the first weekend in May. That, of course, is the KYO, but as we saw with last year’s KY Jockey Club, these races are really more about winning a nice race in November with a talented juvenile for a generous purse. On the male side, only one horse raced in the Jockey Club that entered in the KYD, and the success rate of the Golden Rod was only slightly better as just two horses found their way to the KYO. La Roo was eighth here last year and ran fourth in the KYO and Muddy Buddy placed third here but could only run tenth in the KYO. The winner of last year’s Golden Rod, Tokyo Story, would only race four more times and has been retired. Here’s a look at the twelve taking part in the Golden Rod of 2023!
#1- Midnight Rumble (Riggins Racing, ridden by J R Velazquez)- After winning on debut at AQU in September, there was plenty of reason for the trainer to be excited and that showed with where she ended up next. That would be the Grade 1 Frizette where she ran fourth while starting from the outside and following that she won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies, for CA-Breds, at SA. There are others working better, but she is able to step it up on the track.
#2- Remember This Day (Pan Farms, ridden by M E Smith)- Right now, the only day that we can remember her winning was here over Memorial Day weekend when she broke her maiden, but she very nearly had two more wins. Narrowly missed out in a photo at both the $225.000 Debutante and the Grade 3 Adirondack, and if that is where stood heading into this, I may have picked her to win. However, her last two starts are mediocre against top competition. Not something to write her off with, but she needs a big race here.
#3- Princess Floral (Fractious, ridden by D Davis)- Comes into this race off a win here at the end of October in the slop in an allowance, which was her second career victory. Ran well in a pair of ungraded efforts, with the fourth-place effort in the Sorority Stakes actually appealing to me more than the runner up in the My Dear since it came at a longer distance. Works really well at six furlongs, but I wish I could see a public mile long work.
#4- Gospel (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by J R Davila Jr)- This highly touted filly has been running well and working even better. She was given a conservative debut at FE, which she won and was able to step up without any issue into the ELP Debutante. Most recently, she ran on soaked day here in late October, the same day in which Princess Floral was winning an allowance. Gospel took on stronger company, competing in the $200.000 Rags to Riches that she won, and we should mention that also earned her valuable KYO points. So, another win here puts her off to a good start for that race, particularly for a horse that never ran in the BC.
#5- New Vision (La Canada Racehorses, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- One of the more lightly raced fillies in the race but she has made the most of her three career starts. Broke her maiden in her second race, coming at PRX and that would lead into the $200.000 Maid Of The Mist at AQU, on the same day that Gospel was in the Rags To Riches. The weather was lot better in New York, and she beat State Breds in that one. Running here is a logical next step for her, and she still seems to have plenty of upside.
#6- Lawbreaker (Diablo Diablo, ridden by Mar Garcia)- In her last start, the Grade 1 Alcibiades, she seemed to be one of the better options in that field. Her form heading into race was solid, and her third place run at the Pocahontas seemed like something to build on. However, she was a did in the Alcibiades, and perhaps we can blame that a little on the short rest. Three weeks should not be that big of a deal, but it’s something to keep on the back of your mind that could make that a throw out. A strong effort here means we can forget what happened at KEE.
#7- Age Of Aquarius (Calia Stable, ridden by M Franco)- With the way that she ran in her debut, you wouldn’t think she would be here four months later, but that’s just another example of how we can just easily disregard those races. In October, she was back at it and beat NY-breds at AQU before running at WO on the same weekend we were focused on SA for the BC. The race would be the $150.000 Mazarine BC Stakes, and she narrowly missed out on the win in a photo. Since she is more lightly raced, I am not worried about her coming back in three weeks.
#8- Trinni (Allinthegate, ridden by R M Hernandez)- A winner of half of her four career starts, winning on debut at SA on one of the first days she was eligible to race and later on winning an allowance SAR. Plenty to like with those, but the other two are stake attempts, and did not just miss by a little bit. In each, she was soundly defeated and that may be why she’s been rested since the beginning of September. This is a great chance for her to redeem herself, but I hate to say that I am not wowed by her recent mile works. That, of course, doesn’t have to mean a single thing.
#9- Hershey (Fractious, ridden by L Saez)- She was purchased as an unraced filly for $100.450, and needed four races, most at high level tracks to break her maiden. Hitting the board in each of them before the win meant that she was able to accumulate a fair amount of earnings while giving the trainer confidence that she was a competitive racehorse. Once the win came, it was not a surprise to see her put right into a stake. Hershey did not get spoiled by the rain and was third in the Rags To Riches. Expect the upward trajectory to continue.
#10- Jawaher (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J C Ferrer)- This filly has won twice over her six starts, with one of those victories being the $125.000 Glorious Song Stakes at WO last month. She came from off the pace in that one, which was an encouraging result after struggling in both the Adirondack and the Spinaway at SAR over the summer. After a strong work here at the start of the month, there is reason to believe that Jawaher can put those bad races behind her and we see the side of her that won the Glorious Song.
#11- Let Me Explain (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- Well, no explanation is necessary. And by that, I mean, there’s no confusion about the merits of running Let Me Explain here, while she is on a five-race winning streak on the turf. Those aren’t just any races, either, as she won the $500.000 Untapable Stables, the Grade 2 Jessamine, and then the big one, the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. The last two were by two lengths, as well. Mb Stables knows that’s a direction he can get back to at any point, but for now, there’s plenty of good reason to see what she can do against strong opposition on the main track to pursue the KYO more as a three-year-old, potentially.
#12- Double Zee (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by A Beschizza)- Double Zee took on Let Me Explain in the Untapable, but that result only convinced the trainer to put her back on dirt. That was the right move, as she won the $200.000 Myrtlewood last month, her second win in five races. She has an inconsistent past and hopefully she will grow out of that. This is her first time going long, and unfortunately, she has no public works at a mile to help us with.
Prediction: 9-11-4-1
— NS
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
