Golden Rod Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Travel Column and Clairiere Meet Again in Rachel Alexandra

The expensive Travel Column (Frosted) and regally bred Clairiere (Curlin), who finished one-two in the GII Golden Rod S., face off again Saturday at Fair Grounds in the GII Rachel Alexandra S., presented by Fasig-Tipton, which offers 50 points towards the GI Kentucky Oaks. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after an impressive score in her career bow sprinting at Churchill Sept. 4, the $850,000 FTSAUG purchase was third when trying two turns for the first time in Keeneland's GI Darley Alcibiades S. Oct. 2. The gray was last seen rallying to victory in the Nov. 28 Golden Rod and has been working in company with champion juvenile colt Essential Quality (Tapit) leading up to this, most recently covering five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 (4/51) in NOLA Feb. 7.

“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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Travel Column Circles Field, Overcomes Trouble To Win Golden Rod Stakes

OXO Equine's Travel Column made an impressive run to avoid trouble at the eighth pole in winning Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The 2-year-old daughter from the first crop of Frosted was last early and passed all eight of her rivals to win by a length, stopping the clock in 1:43.98 for 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track. Trained by Brad Cox, the filly was ridden to victory at odds of 5-1 by jockey Florent Geroux.

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 Seeing Stars? Trainer Has 13 Entries For All-Juvenile Program At Churchill Downs

Trainer Kenny McPeek has 13 horses entered in Saturday's “Stars of Tomorrow II” program at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and among his rising juveniles on the card are Grade 1 winner Simply Ravishing in the $200,000 Golden Rod (G2) and stakes winner King Fury in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2).

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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Simply Ravishing Will Try To Rebound In Saturday’s Golden Rod Stakes

Harold Lerner LLC, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' $350,000 Alcibiades (Grade 1) winner Simply Ravishing will lead a field of 10 promising juvenile fillies that were entered in Saturday's $200,000 Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs.

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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