The Mother Goose (Grade 2)- $250.000 Purse
AQU- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
October 26, 2024

As the elite three-year-old fillies prepare for BC weekend next week, the Mother Goose provides a nice opportunity for those who might be just off the radar a little bit but are capable of getting there. It is also a great chance for up and comers, making our field of seven an appealing one and should provide a great race. The race first appeared on the schedule in 2005 at BEL and ran there up until last year, when it was moved to AQU. Childe Girl won that race in the silks of Nakamura Stables, and while she has been decent as a four-year-old, she has not been able to build on the win at the graded level. Let’s take a look at those taking part this year:

1- Two Phils (Angelos Stable, ridden by F T Alvarado)- Makes her graded stake debut after faring very well in PA-bred Stakes. Two Phils was last seen outside Philly, where she won the $100.000 Plum Pretty for PA-Breds in September. It would be her first stake win after hitting the board in a couple of others earlier in the year. She has earned the opportunity to take on stronger company but must bring the Plum Pretty version of herself.

2- Plenty Of Profit (Riggins Racing, ridden by P Husbands)- It was such a promising start of the year for Plenty Of Profit, hitting the board in the GP Oaks and the Black Eyed Susan each of which could have been wins for her with just a little more luck at the wire. Later on, she ran a respectable fourth in the Grade 1 Hirsch and seemed on her way to the BC. However, her last two races have not gone well, including a dud in the Cotillion last month where she started near the back and did nothing all race. Despite the earlier close calls, she is not yet a stake winner.

3- Reflex Action (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by S Elliott)- Saw BC action last year in the Juvenile Fillies and later won the Demoiselle. However, as a three-year-old, she has been very hit and miss. Though she has not tasted victory in 2024, she has had her share of productive outings, like running third in the Eight Belles, but then is nowhere to be seen at the end of other races. Her last outing was one of her better ones, even though it did not result in a check: placing fifth in the Cotillion. Can we trust her to run well in back-to-back races, though?

4- Sagely (Diablo Diablo, ridden by J C Ferrer)- It took this filly a little while to break her maiden, but was finally able to do so in April. For the moment, that is her only win in her twelve career starts. Despite not making much an impression in two races after the win, Sagely was entered into the $75.000 BC Oaks, and narrowly missed out before settling for second in a photo. That gets my attention that she is a filly that can rise to the occasion, and she may very well do so here, too. Still, she does not have the level of consistency that I would like to see to pick her, and a recent work at KEE was below average for a race like this. Of course, there can always be reasons for that.

5- Funny That (Winning Link Stables, ridden by D Davis)- This will be Funny That’s first race for Winning Link Stables, as the trainer picked her up in private sales for $20.000 earlier this month. She’s won twice over nine starts, but those two victories were in her first two races. Ran in a couple of ungraded stakes without much success, and did not really do much in optional claimer. But now, she is with a new trainer and for her to be here right after that, something positive is going on behind the scenes. I’ll have to see it on race day first any maybe pick her the next time I see her.

6- Ruthian (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by T Gaffalione)- By the time this race takes place, we will be one game into the World Series, and with the Yankees likely making Ruthian proud, the filly hopes to hit a home run like Juan Soto in the tenth inning of game five against Cleveland in the Mother Goose. She’s been a winner, with four victories in eight starts, but none of those wins are at the stake level. Her lone stake attempt came two back in the $175.000 Audubon Oaks, but this filly may be built to run in New York, here at the big A.

7- Offlikeapromdress (Night Mare Racing, ridden by J Lezcano)- This is another filly that has been hit and miss over her career, but she had a great trip upstate this summer. That’s when she won the $200.000 Fleet Indian, for NY-Breds, at the Spa. Followed that up against much stronger company in the Grade 2 Beldame here earlier this month and made a late charge to get up for fifth and running at the back (which is normal for her), early on. Only got up for fifth but will not have to pass as many in the stretch here. That should be a positive.

Prediction: 7-3-6-1

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES