Yuugiril was out fastest in the 1 1/16-mile stakes, taking a two-length lead early, with Cancel This and Sandstone sitting second and third. Sandstone moved up on the backstretch, pulling within a head of Yuugiri as they came out of the far turn.

In the stretch, Yuugiri repelled Sandstone's challenged, increasing her lead as Sandstone was unable to continue pressing the leader. To her outside, Dream Lith and jockey Ramon Vazquez were driving, closing ground between the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro and the leader. In the race's final jumps, Dream Lith passed Yuugiri to win by a length, with Sandstone holding on for third.

The final time for the G2 Golden Rod was 1:44.72. Find this race's chart here.

Dream Lith paid $20.20, $8.40, and $3.60. Yuugiri paid $7.20 and $3.60. Sandstone paid $2.40.

Bred in Kentucky by Southern Equine Stables LLC, Dream Lith is out of the Street Cry (IRE) mare Elle Sueno. She is owned by Cypress Creek Equine and Arnold Bennewith and trained by Robertino Diodoro. Consigned by Bluewater Sales, the filly was a $590,000 RNA at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale. With her victory in the Golden Rod, Dream Lith earns 10 points toward the 2022 Kentucky Oaks, with Yuugiri earning four points, Sandstone two points, and fourth-place Famed earning one point. The G2 stakes is the 2-year-old filly's second win in fourth starts, for career earnings of $313,455.

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Famed will have to contend with impressive Rags to Riches S. winner Sandstone (Street Sense). Third behind next-out Debutante S. winner and stablemate Behave Virginia (Unified) in her Churchill unveiling May 28, the dark bay romped by nine lengths next out when extended to a mile beneath the Twin Spires Oct. 3. She ran away with the Rags to Riches last time Oct. 31, cruising home a 10 3/4-length winner over the re-opposing Yuugiri (Shackleford), who adds blinkers this time. McPeek also saddles Hal's Dream (Exaggerator), who rallied from last to first to graduate at first asking at Keeneland Oct. 20.

Dream Lith (Medaglia d'Oro) looks to make amends after finishing fifth in both the Sept. 5 GI Spinaway S. and Oct. 8 GI Darley Alcibiades S. The well-bred filly captured her career bow at Saratoga Aug. 8 and adds blinkers for this start.

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Always well thought of by Sheikh Mohammed's operation, Famed's career nonetheless started with a defeat. The Brad Cox trainee was in the mix early as the 4-5 favorite in the six-furlong affair at Churchill Sept. 26 only to come up a length short of 44-1 longshot Sweet Dani Girl (Jess's Dream). That filly came back to win the Myrtlewood S. Oct. 29 at Keeneland.

“She really did run a winning race, but ran into an absolute buzz saw who was a longshot that day, but was a short shot when she won the stakes at Keeneland in her next start,” Godolphin's Jimmy Bell said of Famed's runner-up debut effort. “So that form held up. But obviously, in Brad's mind, that first start was just time to get going. There is nothing like that afternoon race versus two or three more works in the morning and getting that experience. While she ran a winning race, six furlongs was never going to be her best distance. But these individuals who have talent, show talent and that was the case that day.”

Famed had another furlong to work with when she made her second start at Keeneland Oct. 30 and romped home to win by a geared-down 7 1/2 lengths (video).

“She came back, stretching out to seven-eighths at Keeneland and that suited her a lot better,” Bell said. “We had all along been looking forward to stretching her out and seeing what she could really do at a distance that we felt would suit her style.”

Famed tuned up for the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod with a five-furlong work in 1:00.00 (3/12) at Churchill Downs Sunday.

“She is a nice, growthy filly and she's certainly beginning to fill out nicely,” Bell said of Famed's development. “She's doing very, very well. We've tried to get her races to be a building process and it's been very straightforward for us so far.”

Famed will be trying two turns for the first time in the Golden Rod and connections are eager to see how she takes both the stretch-out and the jump in class.

“What we are looking for is the obvious, the step up in competition and seeing if Brad's feeling of two turns is really going to be what she's all about,” Bell said. “That's really what he's been wanting to do since before the first race. We are going to get that opportunity on Saturday.”

Godolphin has enjoyed a banner year across the globe in 2021 and the operation could add to its 10 North American Grade I wins when Maxfield (Street Sense) makes his final career start in Friday's GI Clark H.

“Most of the time we get to have a joyful moment occasionally, but it's just been a very strong year,” Bell said of the team's 2021 success. “And everybody has contributed so much; Eoin Harty, Billy Mott, Brendan Walsh, Mike Stidham, and of course Brad. Everybody has had a major horse who had a major contribution. That made it all the more enjoyable that so many people have played such a major role in the success we've had this year.”

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The Fall Meet opens Sunday at 1 p.m. for “Stars of Tomorrow I” and features all 2-year-old races. The featured races on the card are the $200,000 Street Sense and $200,000 Rags to Riches – the local steppingstones for the $400,000 Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club and $400,000 Grade 2 Golden Rod, respectively.

The complete field for the Street Sense from the rail out (with jockey, trainer, and morning line odds): Guntown (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen, 8-1); Luni Sima (Adam Beschizza, Jack Sisterson, 20-1); Skippylongstocking (Tyler Gaffalione, Saffie Joseph Jr., 6-1); Red Danger (Julien Leparoux, Brian Lynch, 7-2); Kiss the Sky (Corey Lanerie, Mike Maker, 3-1); Howling Time (Joe Talamo, Dale Romans, 5-1); Lucky Boss (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 6-1); Sport Pepper (Florent Geroux, Kerry Zavash, 15-1); and Red Knobs (James Graham, Romans, 5-1).

Here's the field for the Rags to Riches: Manasota Sunset (Ricardo Santana Jr., Joe Sharp, 8-1); Mama Rina (Corey Lanerie, Kenny McPeek, 3-1); Sandstone (Brian Hernandez Jr., McPeek, 5-2); Yuugiri (Tyler Gaffalione, Brisset, 2-1); and Dressed (Florent Geroux, Wayne Catalano, 5-2).

Inaugurated in 2005, Churchill Downs' “Stars of Tomorrow” programs have helped launch the careers of numerous graded stakes winners, including more than 50 future Grade 1 winners led by Horse of the Year champions Gun Runner (2017) and Rachel Alexandra (2009); Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (2010); Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra (2009), Believe You Can (2012) and Monomoy Girl (2018); Preakness winners Shackleford (2011),  War of Will (2019) and Swiss Skydiver (2020); and Belmont winner Creator (2016) as well as 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic and 2013 Stephen Foster hero Fort Larned and 2013 champion 3-year-old Will Take Charge.

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“I loved her going into the race, I was concerned during the race, and I loved her even more after the race,” trainer Brad Cox said. “It was a little bit of a worry. We saw it in the Alcibiades too, she breaks a little slow and had to make a premature move. But once she gets going, she's a really, really nice filly and she's shown it time and again.”

The first foal out of MGISW Cavorting (Bernardini), Stonestreet homebred Clairiere made a powerful late run to win at first asking in a 1 1/16-mile test at Churchill Oct. 25 and came up just a length short in the Golden Rod.

“She's a very good, lightly-raced filly with a huge pedigree,” conditioner Steve Asmussen said. “It's the right spot to start her back and we're really looking forward to it. But obviously we have our eye down the road [towards the Kentucky Oaks] with her too.”

Another of interest in this field is Cosmic Racing's Zoom Up (Upstart), who is two-for-two over this track. Hitting the board in her first two tries in Kentucky last fall, the dark bay broke through in a local sprint Dec. 19 and followed suit with an optional claimer score Jan. 18.

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The win earned Travel Column 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Last early after being crowded and pushed back at the start, Travel Column stayed wide near the rear of the pack during the early running. Longshot Farsighted lead the way through fractions of :23.77 and :48.21, tracked by the favorite Simply Ravishing.

Simply Ravishing, the G1 Alcibiades winner, grabbed the lead around the turn but couldn't hold on, and was headed by Clairere at the three-sixteenths pole. Meanwhile, Travel Column went wide to range into contention but still had five lengths to make up at the head of the lane.

Near the inside, Travel Column had to shift out four-wide at the eighth pole for clear running room, and was able to run down her foes in the final sixteenth of a mile. Beaten a length in second was Clairere, and the previously undefeated Coach finished third. Favorite Simply Ravishing was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Bayne Welker Jr. and Denali Stud, Travel Column was an $850,000 yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select sale. Out of the multiple stakes-winning Victory Gallop mare Swingit, the filly is a half-sister to $2 million-earner Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday).

Travel Column won her debut at Churchill Downs by 4 1/4 lengths with a pace-pressing run, then missed the start and could do no better than third in the G1 Alcibiades at Keeneland. Her win in the Golden Rod improves her record to two victories from three starts and earnings of $209,184.

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McPeek will attempt to win his second Golden Rod in this year's edition with Harold Lerner LLC, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' $350,000 Ashland (G1) winner Simply Ravishing. In her most recent start, the promising filly finished fourth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

“I thought she ran a great race considering how it shaped up early,” McPeek said. “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.”

Simply Ravishing was made the even-money morning line favorite in the Golden Rod and will break from post No. 8 with Robby Albarado in the saddle.

Two races later, Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's $98,000 Street Sense winner King Fury is listed at 6-1 on the morning line as he attempts his third victory at Churchill Downs.

“He's 2-for-2 at Churchill Downs so we know he really likes it here,” McPeek said. “We've added blinkers to him in hopes to get him to the next level. I think they could add to his focus and really get him there. His only two blemishes came at Keeneland so we're excited to get him back to Churchill.”

McPeek has won 12 races on the Stars of Tomorrow II program since it was inaugurated in 2006. He won the 2010 Golden Rod with Kathballu and finished second in last year's race with Swiss Skydiver. In 2018, McPeek won the Kentucky Jockey Club with Signalman.

Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Kentucky Jockey Club is carded as Race 11 of 12 on Saturday's program. First post is 1 p.m. ET, the Kentucky Jockey Club will go at 5:56 p.m., and the Golden Rod will go as Race 9 at 4:57 p.m.

In the Kentucky Jockey Club, Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith's $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) third-place finisher Keepmeinmind was made the 6-5 morning line favorite in the field of nine.

The complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): #1 Sittin On Go (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 5-1); #1a Smiley Sobotka (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 5-1); #2 Swill (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 6-1); #3 Arabian Prince (Tyler Gaffalione, Dallas Stewart, 8-1); #4 Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro 6-5); #5 Inspector Frost (John Velazquez, Cox, 8-1); #6 Oncoming Train (Rafael Bejarano, Jimmy DiVito, 10-1); #7 King Fury (Hernandez, McPeek, 6-1); #8 Ultimate Badger (Joe Talamo, Romans, 15-1).

The field for the Golden Rod, from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Lady Lilly (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen, 15-1); No Mo Spending (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes, 15-1); Coach (Joe Talamo, Cox, 6-1); Farsighted (Julien Leparoux, Rusty Arnold II, 15-1); Travel Column (Florent Geroux, Cox, 5-1); Clairiere (Ricardo Santana Jr., Asmussen, 6-1); Lady Traveler (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 20-1); Simply Ravishing (Albarado, McPeek, even-money); Princess Theorem (John Velazquez, Brendan Walsh, 10-1); and Alexandria (Gerardo Corrales, Tim Hamm, 15-1).

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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).

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Also donning the Friday morning work tab was Rupp Racing's three-time Grade 3 winner Owendale who worked an easy half-mile in :49.20 for trainer Brad Cox.

On Friday morning, trainer Bret Calhoun reported via text that By My Standards, the recent eighth-place runner in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, would likely be his lone entrant to the 1 1/8-mile race.

The Clark is the centerpiece of a fantastic Thanksgiving week of racing beneath the Twin Spires. Inaugurated in 1875, the Clark will be the featured race on the Friday program at Churchill Downs. Entries will be taken Sunday. The likely entrants to the race include Bodexpress, By My Standards, Code of Honor, In Love (BRZ) and Plus Que Parfait. Coastal Defense and Mr. Freeze are possible to enter the race, according to trainer Dale Romans.

One day prior on Thanksgiving will be the 105th running of the $200,000 Falls City (GII) for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles. Entries for Thursday's card will be drawn Saturday.

On Saturday, Nov. 28, the card will feature all 2-year-olds races for “Stars of Tomorrow II.” The headlining races will be the 94th running of the $200,000 G2 Kentucky Jockey Club and its counterpart for fillies, the $200,000 G2 Golden Rod.

The likely field for the Kentucky Jockey Club includes Arabian Prince (trainer Dallas Stewart), Inspector Frost (Brad Cox), King Fury (Kenny McPeek), Super Stock (Steve Asmussen) and Swill (Cox).

The likely field for the Golden Rod includes Coach (Cox), Lady Traveler (Dale Romans), Roc's Princess (Billy Gowan), Simply Ravishing (McPeek) and Travel Column (Cox).

Entries for Saturday's program will be drawn Wednesday.

Out of an abundance of caution, there will be no turf racing at Churchill Downs through the remainder of the meet because the course has not satisfactorily responded to this fall's climate. Grass racing will resume next spring when the conditions become more optimum. As a result, there will be no turf entries taken for races scheduled to be run on turf from Nov. 25-29. All scheduled turf races in the condition book during this time period will be transferred to the main track and entries taken for the same conditions will be dirt only. Additionally, the $100,000 G3 Cardinal and $100,000 G3 River City will be put on hiatus this year.

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