Fluffy Socks Overcomes Traffic, Survives Inquiry In Jimmy Durante

Head of Plains Partners' favored Fluffy Socks escaped tight quarters at the head of the stretch, then accelerated smartly to draw clear at the finish for a half-length tally in the $102,500 Jimmy Durante Stakes Saturday at Del Mar.

The daughter of the British stallion Slumber was handled by Irad Ortiz, Jr. for trainer Chad Brown and had to survive a claim of foul to earn her $60,000 first prize in the Grade 3 feature for 2-year-old fillies. Ortiz, Jr. and Brown had just teamed up with another eastern-based filly, Orglandes, at the shore oval Thursday to capture the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap for older distaff runners.

Fluffy Socks ran the mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course in 1:35.35 to establish a stakes record. The previous mark was 1:35.68 set by Elsa in 2018.

“No special instructions for me,” Ortiz Jr. said. “He (Brown) just said 'Ride her like you did before.' She felt like a winner all the way around. We had some traffic on the turn (for home), but I got through and got her to where I wanted to be. She's a nice filly. Big kick.”

Finishing second in the Durante was Godolphin's Javanica and running third was Red Baron's Barn or Rancho Temescal's Quattroelle.

Fluffy Socks paid $5.40, $3.40 and $2.60 across the board. Javanica returned $5.20 and $3.80. Quattroelle paid $4.80.

The winner increased her bankroll to $226,880 for her third win in five starts.

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Keepmeinmind Puts In Big Late Run Break His Maiden In Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes

Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith's Keepmeinmind added to the freshman tally of stallion Laoban with a win in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Jockey David Cohen rode the juvenile to his maiden triumph as the 2-1 favorite; the pair completed 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track in 1:44.52. Trained by Robertino Diodoro, Keepmeinmind was third last out in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Also the runner-up in the G1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, Keepmeinmind has collected a total of 18 points on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Smiley Sobotka led the way through fractions of :24.00 and :48.00, before being headed by stakes winner King Fury at the head of the lane. The frontrunner pulled away again, but didn't have enough left to fend off the late run of early trailer Keepmeinmind.

Still last at the three-sixteenths pole, Keepmeinmind wove through traffic to find clear running on the outside in the stretch. Cohen drove Keepmeinmind firmly down the lane to break his maiden by three-quarters of a length over Smiley Sobotka. Arabian Prince checked in third, and Swill was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Southern Equine Stable, Keepmeinmind is out of the unraced Victory Gallop mare Inclination. Raced by his breeder to a second on debut at Churchill Downs, the colt also ran second in the Breeders' Futurity in those colors. He was sold to his current ownership before finishing third in the Breeders' Cup. Overall, the colt's record stands at one win, two seconds, and a third from four starts, with earnings just shy of $400,000.

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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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