The Bayakoa originally was scheduled Feb. 5 before being postponed because of a winter storm that closed the Hot Springs, Ark. track last weekend. The Bayakoa was redrawn Monday, with the original cast of seven again entered. The field will be reduced by at least one after trainer Phil Bauer said Mariah's Princess would be scratched.

Probable post time for the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa, the eighth of 11 races, is 3:47 p.m. (Central). The 10th race is the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles. First post Saturday is 12:10 p.m. (Central).

Cox has won four of Oaklawn's last five two-turn stakes races for older females, dating to the $150,000 Pippin in January 2021 with Getridofwhatailesu. Cox then captured the $250,000 Bayakoa (G3) with two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl and the $350,000 Azeri (G2) with Shedaresthedevil. Monomoy Girl, in what would be her final career start, was beaten a nose by Letruska in the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) last April to deny Cox a four-race sweep in 2021.

Cox found the winner's circle again in the $150,000 Pippin Jan. 8 with Coach (Commissioner), who is the 5-2 program favorite Saturday. Cox also has the 3-1 co-second choice in the program in multiple stakes winner Matera.

Freshened following last April's $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies, Coach is seeking her third consecutive victory. She was a sharp two-length allowance winner in her Dec. 17 comeback race at Oaklawn.

“Obviously, Coach loves Oaklawn,” Cox said. “She's better than she's ever been. She always tries hard. She's very competitive. Obviously, it's a step up. The way she's training, I feel like she can step another step forward. It will be her third run off the layoff, so I'm excited about her.”

Blue-blooded Matera – Tapit out of Oaklawn stakes winner Miss Macy Sue – captured an allowance race last March in Hot Springs in her first start for Cox. The $1.4 million Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate added stakes victories at Horseshoe Indianapolis (formerly Indiana Grand) and Ellis Park before closing 2021 with a runner-up finish in the $300,000 Chilukki Stakes (G3) Nov. 20 at Churchill Downs.

“Matera missed a little bit of time once she arrived at Oaklawn,” Cox said. “Had an illness. Nothing major at all, we just missed some time. Got her back going and she's had three works since. This was obviously a race we were pointing for, this and the Houston Ladies Classic (Jan. 30). Waiting for this gave us an opportunity to work her once more. She's a little behind where we expected her to be, given the fact she ran in November, and missed a little time. But she's done extremely well once we got her back to the track and training, so we'll see where we are.”

The Bayakoa entrants from the rail out:

1. Matera, Florent Geroux to ride, 119 pounds, 3-1 on the morning line
2. Miss Bigly, Ramon Vazquez, 119, 9-2
3. She's All Wolfe, Francisco Arrieta, 119, 12-1
4. Jilted Bride, Joel Rosario, 119, 8-1
5. Mariah's Princess, Martin Garcia, 119, 5-1
6. Queen Goddess, David Cabrera, 119, 3-1; and
7. Coach, Ricardo Santana Jr., 122, 5-2.

Mariah's Princess, however, will be scratched after not training satisfactorily, Bauer said in a text message Wednesday night. Mariah's Princess has won her last two starts by a combined 9 ¼ lengths, including a three-length score in the inaugural $150,000 Mistletoe Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 4.

“Tough game,” Bauer said.

Southern California-based Queen Goddess exits a front-running 2 ¾-length victory in the $300,000 American Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. The 1 ¼-mile American Oaks, moved from the grass to the main track because of rain, marked the dirt debut for Queen Goddess, a 4-year-old daughter of Empire Maker who races for her breeder, TOLO Thoroughbreds, & Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Trainer Michael McCarthy said Queen Goddess arrived in Hot Springs Feb. 1 after being flown via FedEx to Memphis and vanned approximately 190 miles. Queen Goddess worked an easy half-mile in :53.40 Monday in advance of the Bayakoa, which is a major local prep for the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 12 and, ultimately, the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 23. The Azeri and Apple Blossom are also 1 1/16-mile races.

“Looks like on paper she should be right there, with a little bit of speed outside of her,” McCarthy said. “The controlling speed looks to be inside, so David can get himself into a good position going into the first turn and let the chips fall as they may.”

Queen Goddess made her first five career starts on grass. In addition to winning at 1 ¼ miles, Queen Goddess broke her maiden at 1 1/16 miles Aug. 7 at Del Mar and finished fifth in the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Oct. 16 at Keeneland.

“This is a mile and a sixteenth, so a little different strategy, a little different race shape,” McCarthy said. “We'll see. She's certainly earned the chance to go ahead and compete.”

The consistent Miss Bigly ran third behind Matera in the Chilukki and second behind Coach in the Pippin. Trained by Phil D'Amato, Miss Bigly has finished first, second or third in 19 of 25 lifetime starts.

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Cox also won last year's edition of the Pippin with Getridofwhatailesu, and was just a few inches shy of sweeping Oaklawn's two-turn stakes series for older fillies and mares in 2021. He sent out Monomoy Girl to win last year's $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) and Shedaresthedevil to win the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2). Monomoy Girl, in what would be her final career start, was beaten a nose by Letruska in the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) to deny Cox a four-race sweep.

When Coach broke sharply, Santana sent the filly out to take the lead but kept her off the deeper inside rail, about three-wide down the backstretch. They marked the first quarter in :23.44 and the half in :47.60. Miss Bigly tracked the pace along the inside, and moved up around the half-mile pole to draw even with the frontrunner.

Head-and-head around the far turn, the two riders were waiting to cue their mounts for the stretch run. When the question was asked, it was Coach and Santana who managed to find another gear on the outside. Coach pulled away from Miss Bigly with ease, racing to the wire a three-length winner. Miss Bigly had to settle for second, while W W Fitzy checked in third and Breeze Rider was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Three Lyons Racing, Coach is out of the Exchange Rate mare And Stay Out. She was a $65,000 yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall sale, and won her first three races including the Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs. On the Kentucky Oaks trail, Coach managed a third in the G3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn before finishing ninth in the Run for the Lillies. She did not race again until December, when she won her comeback race at Oaklawn.

Overall, Coach's record stands at five wins from 10 starts for earnings of $387,840.

The post Coach Repels All Challengers For Pippin Score appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Probable post time for the Pippin, the eighth of nine races, is 3:46 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:30 p.m.

Cox won the last year's Pippin with Getridofwhatailesu, then captured the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) with two-time Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl and the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) with Shedaresthedevil. Monomoy Girl, in what would be her final career start, was beaten a nose by Letruska in the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) to deny Cox a four-race sweep.

Cox bids for his second Pippin victory with Kueber Racing LLC's Coach, the early 9-5 choice who retains eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. Coach exits a sharp two-length allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 17, which marked her first start since finishing ninth in the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) for 3-year-old fillies April 30 at Churchill Downs.

“She was just a horse that we had run a lot, her 2-year-old season and then throughout her 3-year-old season, trying to get her into the Oaks,” Cox said. “We got her to the Oaks. She just needed a break and she got it.”

Coach began her career with three consecutive victories, including the $98,000 Rags to Riches Stakes in October 2020 at Churchill Downs. Coach went through Oaklawn's series of Kentucky Oaks points races last year, finishing second in the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes, fifth in the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) and third in the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3). Her allowance victory last month at Oaklawn snapped a five-race losing streak.

“She ran good,” said Cox, leading trainer at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting. “Tough, tough field.”

The projected seven-horse Pippin lineup from the rail out: Coach, Ricardo Santana Jr., 122 pounds, 9-5 on the morning line; Breeze Rider, E.T. Baird, 122, 5-1; W W Fitzy, David Cohen, 122, 8-1; Itsallinthenotes, Kelsi Harr, 122, 20-1; Josie, Ramon Vazquez, 122, 5-2; Miss Bigly, Martin Garcia, 122, 5-2; and Wellington Wonder, David Cabrera, 117, 12-1.

Miss Bigly has kept fast company in her career, facing the likes of Monomoy Girl, As Time Goes By and Envoutante in the Midwest and Southern California.

An allowance winner at one mile last April at Oaklawn, Miss Bigly exits a third-place finish in the $300,000 Chilukki Stakes (G3) Nov. 20 at Churchill Downs. The Chilukki was also a mile. Miss Bigly has five published workouts at Oaklawn since Dec. 4.

“I think she's coming into the race in good shape,” said Miss Bigly's Southern California-based trainer, Phil D'Amato, who has nine horses at Oaklawn. “I believe she won on a wet-fast track at Oaklawn last year, so I don't think if it rains, we'll have any issues there. Her last couple of breezes have been very sharp, with Martin Garcia breezing her.”

Multiple stakes winner Breeze Rider won seven races in 2021, but has done her best work on turf or a synthetic surface for trainer Steve Manley. Josie was an allowance winner at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting for Cox. She is now with Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

W W Fitzy adds blinkers for 2020 Oaklawn training champion Robertino Diodoro after running fourth behind Coach and Wellington Wonder Dec. 17 at Oaklawn. She was claimed out of the race for $62,500.

“We're trying to get some speed back in her,” Diodoro said, referring to the equipment change. “Training good. We'll see.”

The post Trainer Brad Cox Chasing Second Straight Pippin Victory With Coach appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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6th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 2:56 p.m. ET
Well-related UNEXPECTED (California Chrome) makes his debut here for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. and the Chu family's Baoma Corporation, which also campaigned his MGISW half-sister Bast (Uncle Mo). A $500,000 FTSAUG '18 yearling, Bast was a frequent visitor to California winner's, scoring victories in the GI Del Mar Debutante S., GI Chandelier S., GI Starlet S. and the GII Santa Ynez S. in her final career start. She was also a stubborn third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies behind eventual Eclipse Award winner British Idiom (Flashback). Bast would go on to bring $4.2 million from Spendthrift Farm while in foal to Justify at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Their dam Laffina RNA'd for $290,000 while carrying Bast at the 2016 Keeneland November sale, but brought $1.5 million in foal to Ghostzapper at FTKNOV '19. Laffina's now 2-year-old Pioneerof the Nile filly was a $430,000 FTKNOV weanling and $425,000 KEESEP yearling. TJCIS PPs

8th-OP, $101K, Alw/OC, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 4:46 p.m. ET
Kueber Racing's COACH (Commissioner) makes her first appearance since finishing ninth in late April's GI Longines Kentucky Oaks. The $65,000 Fasig-Tipton October graduate won her first three starts as a juvenile, including the Rags to Riches S. under the Twin Spires, before finishing third in the GII Golden Rod S. She began her 2021 season with a second in the Martha Washington S. here in January; was fifth in the GIII Honeybee S. Mar. 6; and third in the GIII Fantasy S. Apr. 3 before the Oaks.
TJCIS PPs

The post Insights: Half to Bast Debuts at GP appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.

#1 – Pauline's Pearl
Bloodline of a star
But has she been a big fish
Among the minnows?

#2 – Maracuja
Big Gazelle form jump
Still puts her a rung beneath
The field's upper tier

#3 – Clairiere
Travel Column holds
A two-to-one advantage
Going head-to-head

#4 – Crazy Beautiful
Her only real dud
Came in last year's Breeders' Cup
Bad day? Class ceiling?

#5 – Pass the Champagne
Her talent's bubbling
Might be time to pop the cork
Make room on tickets

#6 – Travel Column
Starred in her last prep
And can win from anywhere
Sitting in first class

#8 – Moraz
Bred for the classics
Missing a killer instinct
Can't win without it

#9 – Coach
Like Belichick's Pats
She hasn't been a true threat
Since late October

#10 – Malathaat
Answered a big doubt
When she won outside New York
Ought to have a say

#11 – Will's Secret
Odds would cut in half
If the race were at Oaklawn
Alas, it is not

#12 – Search Results
No need to Ask Jeeves
She'll be in the lead Dogpile
Her chances Excite

#13 – Competitive Speed
Bears a fitting name
If she's in a one-turn race
Not a likely threat

#14 – Millefeuille
Her form lags behind
But her mornings are bullets
Mott might have her right

Prediction
Evenly-matched bout
Travel Column guts it out
Five, ten fill the tri

The post The Haiku Handicapper Presented By Form2Win: 2021 Kentucky Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Honeybee is the ninth of 10 races, with probable post time 5:10 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 1 p.m.

The Honeybee will offer 85 points (50-20-10-5, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks, the country's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies. Last year's Honeybee winner, Shedaresthedevil, captured the delayed Kentucky Oaks (COVID-19) for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and co-owner Staton Flurry of Hot Springs.

Cox has two entrants Saturday, including 5-2 program favorite Sun Path for breeder/owner Juddmonte Farms. Sun Path, a daughter of Munnings, will be making her first start since a disappointing fourth-place finish as the odds-on favorite in the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds.

“Sun Path's been training extremely well,” Cox said. “I have really no excuse or reason for her dull performance last time. I was kind of taken aback by that. She came out of it well. She's breezed tremendous at the Fair Grounds.”

Prior to the Silverbulletday, Sun Path had broken her maiden by three lengths Nov. 8 at Churchill Downs and won a first-level allowance race by 12 ¾ lengths in her two-turn debut Dec. 18 at Fair Grounds.

Cox's other entrant is Coach, who finished a troubled second as the odds-on favorite in Oaklawn's first Kentucky Oaks points race, the $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 30. Coach was squeezed early and beaten 5 ¼ lengths by Will's Secret in the 1-mile race run over a muddy surface. Coach had won her first three career starts before completing her 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish behind stablemate Travel Column in the $200,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

Coach breezed a half-mile in :48.60 last Sunday morning, but Cox noted the daughter of Commissioner had her work/gallop schedule significantly impacted after Oaklawn lost 11 days of training last month because of severe winter weather.

“Coach has obviously missed some training,” Cox said. “We'll kind of see how things go.”

Conversely, powerful Martha Washington winner Will's Secret hasn't missed a beat, said Fair Grounds-based Dallas Stewart, who trains the daughter of champion Will Take Charge for breeder/owner Willis Horton of Marshall, Ark. After winning the Martha Washington, Will's Secret recorded three half-mile works last month at Fair Grounds.

“She's doing good,” Stewart said. “She's a nice, honest filly and easy to train – just an easy keeper. Nice filly.”

Will's Secret is bidding for her third consecutive victory. After finishing third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths by the highly regarded Clairiere, Oct. 25 at Churchill Downs, Will's Secret broke her maiden by 2 ¾ lengths in a 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf event Dec. 20 at Fair Grounds under Jon Court. She displayed push-button acceleration in the Martha Washington, romping from just off the pace under Court.

“Actually, I thought it might be a little short for her,” Stewart said of the Martha Washington. “She proved me wrong. She stepped up to the plate nicely.”

The projected eight-horse Honeybee field from the rail out: Tabor Hall, David Cohen to ride, 117 pounds, 10-1 on the morning line; Will's Secret, Jon Court, 122, 7-2; Willful Woman, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117, 6-1; Sun Path, Joe Talamo, 117, 5-2; Pauline's Pearl, Francisco Arrieta, 117, 8-1; Absolute Anna, Ramon Vazquez, 117, 15-1; Oliviaofthedesert, David Cabrera, 119, 7-2; and Coach, Florent Geroux, 119, 4-1.

The Honeybee is the final major local prep for the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 3. The Fantasy is Oaklawn's third and final Kentucky Oaks points race. Last year's Fantasy winner, Swiss Skydiver, was named the country's champion 3-year-old filly after finishing second in the Kentucky Oaks and beating males, including eventual Horse of the Year Authentic, in the Preakness, the final leg of the revamped Triple Crown. Swiss Skydiver's trainer, Kenny McPeek, is represented by Oliviaofthedesert and Tabor Hall, both based this winter in Florida.

Oliviaofthedesert closed her 2020 campaign victories in a Nov. 28 allowance race at Churchill Downs and the $60,000 Trapeze Stakes Dec. 18 at Remington Park. Owner Susan Moulton purchased the daughter of Bernardini for $320,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Moulton's Fire Coral finished fifth behind Swiss Skydiver in the Fantasy.

“She seems to be getting better,” McPeek said of Oliviaofthedesert. “Just been real pleased with everything. She got a little break between races. She's been training down here in Florida for two months.”

Tabor Hall broke her maiden by 1 ½ front-running lengths Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park in her last start.

“I'm glad to have David back up on (Oliviaofthedesert),” McPeek said, referring to Cabrera. “He did a marvelous job on Olivia (in the Trapeze). David Cohen's won the Travers for me, so I know I can trust his work. Tactically, I haven't dug too deep on it.”

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won the Honeybee a record five times, is represented by Fair Grounds shipper Pauline's Pearl and Willful Woman, who broke her maiden Jan. 24 at Oaklawn for prominent Arkansas owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong.

Willfull Woman's half-sister, the Asmussen-trained Ever So Clever, finished fifth in the 2017 Honeybee before winning the Fantasy.

The post Local Prep Winner Will’s Secret Hasn’t Missed A Beat Ahead Of Saturday’s Honeybee appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Probable post time for the Martha Washington, which drew a field of six, is 3:06 p.m. (Central). It goes as the fifth of nine races on the program. First post Saturday, Day 5 of the scheduled 57-day meeting, is 1 p.m.

The Martha Washington will offer 17 points (10-4-2-1, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) April 30 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Oaks is the country's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies. Oaklawn's Kentucky Oaks points series continues with the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) March 6 and the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 3. The Honeybee will offer 85 points (50-20-10-5) to the top four finishers, with 170 points (100-40-20-10) up for grabs in the Fantasy.

Oaklawn-raced horses flourished on last year's revamped road to the Kentucky Oaks. Honeybee winner Shedaresthedevil captured the Kentucky Oaks, which was moved from early May to early September because of COVID-19. Fantasy winner Swiss Skydiver finished second in the Kentucky Oaks before toppling males in the Preakness, the traditional second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, in her next start.

Trainer Brad Cox, who also trained Shedaresthedevil, has the 7-5 program favorite Saturday in Coach, who won her first three career starts before concluding her 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish behind stablemate Travel Column in the $200,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

“There's some speed in there and it's a small field,” Cox said. “Hopefully, the speed doesn't get too far away from her. It's a 1-mile race, it's a great purse, and, hopefully, she can start her march toward, what we hope, is the Kentucky Oaks. That would be the ultimate goal with her.”

After starting her career with two blowout victories at Indiana Grand, Coach won the $98,000 Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes Oct. 25 at Churchill Downs in her two-turn debut. She was beaten 3 ½ lengths in the Golden Rod, also at 1 1/16 miles.

“She does like Churchill,” Cox said. “She's a good filly. She stepped up and had a great 2-year-old season and, hopefully, she'll improve as a 3-year-old. She's definitely been training like she's improved. We like the way she's been training at Oaklawn. I feel like she's moved forward with her training. Hopefully, she can transfer that to the afternoons.”

The projected Martha Washington field from the rail out: Joy's Rocket, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 122 pounds, 5-2 on the morning line; Novel Squall, Ramon Vazquez, 115, 15-1; Coach, Florent Geroux, 122, 7-5; Will's Secret, Jon Court, 115, 6-1; Lady Lilly, David Cabrera, 119, 9-2; and Sylvia Q, Martin Garcia, 115, 5-1.

Joy's Rocket will be making her two-turn debut for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen after winning the $75,000 Letellier Memorial Stakes Dec. 19 at Fair Grounds in her last start. Asmussen, a two-time Martha Washington winner, also will send out Golden Rod seventh Lady Lilly.

Will's Secret exits a 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf maiden special weights victory Dec. 20 at Fair Grounds for trainer Dallas Stewart and breeder/owner Willis Horton of Marshall, Ark.

Horton won the 2015 Martha Washington with champion Take Charge Brandi.

The post Cox-Trained Coach Favored In Oaklawn’s First 2021 Kentucky Oaks Prep appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“I thought she ran a great race considering how it shaped up early,” McPeek explained. “She didn’t break well at all and had a tough trip the entire way around there. I think it was very promising the way she finished up considering the problems she had.”

Kueber Racing LLC’s Coach (Commissioner) will try to remain undefeated following a trio of victories, including her most recent in Churchill’s Rags to Riches S. Oct. 25. Coach kicked off her career with a pair of Indiana scores, including a 9 1/4-length romp in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance Sept. 15.

“Distance definitely doesn’t seem to be an issue with her,” affirmed trainer Brad Cox. “She loved the extra ground in the Rags to Riches and this race made the most sense for her next start.”

Also carrying the Cox banner is OXO Equine LLC’s Travel Column (Frosted), who earned TDN Rising Star billing following a confident win in a six-furlong Churchill maiden Sept. 4. The grey finished a well-beaten third in the Alcibiades.

“I don’t think the track necessarily played into her favor that day,” explained Cox. “She broke a little slow and couldn’t really make up much ground with the pace. She’s a high-quality filly by Frosted and has trained forwardly out of the race.”

Steven Asmussen packs a one-two punch led by Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Clairiere (Curlin), a first out winner over this track and distance Oct. 25.  The filly is out of Cavorting (Bernardini), a winner of six graded races, including a trio at the highest level, for Stonestreet and Kiaran McLaughlin. Asmussen also saddles two-time winner Lady Lilly (Nyquist), third two-back in the Sept. 6 GI Spinaway S.

The post Simply Ravishing Heads Churchill’s Golden Rod appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The Golden Rod has helped launch several fillies on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks including eventual Oaks winners Monomoy Girl, Rachel Alexandra and Silverbulletday. The 1 1/16-mile race is carded as Race 9 with a post time of 4:57 p.m. The race shares the spotlight on Saturday's 12-race program with the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). First post is 1 p.m.

Simply Ravishing, trained by Kenny McPeek, was a dominant 6 ¼-length winner of the Oct. 2 Alcibiades at Keeneland. The Laoban filly finished fourth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on Nov. 6 behind Vequist, Dayoutoftheoffice and Girl Daddy.

The three-time winner will be ridden by 2020 Preakness Stakes (G1) winning jockey Robby Albarado from post No. 8.

Among the other rivals to Simply Ravishing in the Golden Rod is Kueber Racing's undefeated $98,000 Rags to Riches winner Coach. Trained by Brad Cox, Coach is a perfect 3-for-3 in her young career. She'll be joined in the starting gate by stablemate Travel Column. Owned by OXO Equine, Travel Column dazzled on debut by 4 ¼ lengths and returned with a third-place effort behind Simply Ravishing in the Alcibiades.

Joe Talamo will have the call aboard Coach from post 3 while Florent Geroux will ride Travel Column from post 5.

The Golden Rod field also includes WinStar Farm, Blazing Meadows Farm and Michael Lewis' three-time Ohio-bred stakes winner Alexandria and Six Column Stables, Randy Bloch, Jim Gladden and Riverview Racing's New York-bred stakes winner No Mo' Spending.

The complete field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Lady Lilly (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen); No Mo Spending (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes); Coach (Talamo, Cox); Farsighted (Julien Leparoux, Rusty Arnold II); Travel Column (Geroux, Cox); Clairiere (Ricardo Santana Jr., Asmussen); Lady Traveler (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans); Simply Ravishing (Albarado, McPeek); Princess Theorem (John Velazquez, Brendan Walsh); Alexandria (Gerardo Corrales, Tim Hamm).

The post Simply Ravishing Will Try To Rebound In Saturday’s Golden Rod Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Ridden by Florent Geroux and trained by Brad Cox, Coach ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.14 while making her two-turn debut. Previously she recorded dominant victories in sprints at Indiana Grand, including a 4 ¼-length maiden win and a first-level allowance score by 9 ¾ lengths.

Malibu Bird and Salty as Can Be dictated the Rags to Riches pace as they led the field of nine 2-year-old fillies through opening splits of :23.44, :47.98 and 1:12.98. Coach tracked from third in the clear down the backstretch and took over the lead leaving the far turn. Lady Traveler rallied into contention down the stretch but was no match for Coach who drew clear late.

“We sat a really good trip all along,” said Geroux, who has won the Rags to Riches in three of the last four years (note: the other wins came with Monomoy Girl in 2017 and Mother Mother in 2018). “It was her first time at two turns and she really handled the extra distance well. We galloped out really strong, too.”

Coach paid $6.80, $4.40 and $3.40 as the second betting choice. Lady Traveler, ridden by Joe Talamo, returned $5.60 and $4.20. It was another 1 ½ lengths back in third to Oliviaofthedesert, who paid $4.20 under Brian Hernandez Jr.

Dash to the Top, 2-1 favorite Midnight Ballerina, Torsie's Charm, Orsetto, Malibu Bird and Salty as Can Be completed the running order.

Sunday's payday was worth $58,440 and Coach improved her record to 3-3-0-0—$96,540 for owner Rick Kueber's Kueber Racing LLC.

By Commissioner, Coach is a Kentucky-bred filly out of the Exchange Rate mare And Stay Out. She was bred by Three Lyons Racing.

“With the pedigree, we thought she would like the extra distance,” Cox said. “With a horse making their start around two turns for the first time, you never really know how they'll handle the extra ground. She showed today that she loved it.”

Sunday's race is named in honor of Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's 2007 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner. Three years ago, Michael Dubb and Monomoy Stables' Monomoy Girl, also trained by Cox, cruised to a 6 ½-length score in the Rags to Riches prior to her triumph in the 2018 Kentucky Oaks.

The post Coach Remains Unbeaten With Easy Rags To Riches Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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