Mama's Gold, a 3-year-old New York-bred Bolt d'Oro colt, drew off to break his maiden by 21 1/4-lengths in a six-furlong state-bred maiden claiming tilt on Saturday at Aqueduct.
Owner-trainer Chad Summers won a three-way shake to halter Mama's Gold for $25,000 out of the impressive third-out graduation that garnered a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
Mama's Gold, with Jose Lezcano up, broke alertly from post 4 and marked off fractions of :23.15 and :47.03 over the fast main track, opening up a nine-length advantage at the stretch call en route to an eye-catching victory in a final time of 1:11.32.
Mama's Gold made his first two starts traveling six furlongs in state-bred company in the care of trainer Mike Maker for owner-breeder William Butler, finishing fifth in his August debut at Saratoga, a tilt that featured Curly Larry and Mo, who would end his campaign with a pacesetting off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
He followed with a seventh-place finish off a three-month layoff on November 26 at the Big A in a race that runner-up General Banker exited to win the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way ahead of picking up Kentucky Derby qualifying points for a third-place finish in the Jerome.
“Mike Maker is an outstanding trainer and no matter where his horses are running, he always has the horse prepared to run,” Summers said of the impressive maiden score. “On paper, it looked like a one-horse race and he did what he was supposed to do. The way he did it, he was geared down throughout and the track wasn't very fast, but he made it look fast. That was encouraging to see.”
A half-sibling to multiple stakes winner Rotknee, Mama's Gold is out of the winning Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama, who is a half sister to graded stakes-placed A Freud of Mama. His third dam, Nothing Special, produced multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Haynesfield.
“We knew the horse was a half to Rotknee, but so did they,” Summers said. “Looking at his first two races, they looked better on paper than his final results. In his first race, the horse that ran fourth ran in the Breeders' Cup and in the second race the horse that ran second came back and won the $500,000 stakes and has Derby points.
“Obviously, you're a little concerned about the drop from maiden special to maiden $25,000, but he's a New York-bred and he had all his conditions,” continued Summers. “We love Bolt d'Oro, and it's one of those ones where you take a look at him and if he's OK, you take a shot.”
Summers said Mama's Gold exited the race in good order and that he will take his time before planning a next start.
“We came to check on him at night check and he was hollering for more food. He seems like a happy horse,” Summers said. “We'll treat him like a good horse, but he has all his conditions so we'll take it step by step. We won't rush into anything and just let him take us where he takes us. Hopefully, that third race is an indication of who he is and not the first two.”
The post ‘He Did What He Was Supposed To Do’: Bolt d’Oro 3YO Colt Mama’s Gold Breaks Maiden By Eye-Catching Margin, Registers 96 BSF appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
