Famed Steps Up to Graded Plate in Golden Rod
Image:
Description:
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Famed at Keeneland
Though 3-year-old classic winner Essential Quality has retired to the breeding shed at Darley at Jonabell Farm, Godolphin and trainer Brad Cox have much to look forward to with his year-younger half sister.
Famed , a 2-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo , broke her maiden at second asking Oct. 30 at Keeneland, romping by 7 3/4 lengths at about seven furlongs on a sloppy main track. She'll now try two turns for the first time running 1 1/16 miles in the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs.
The Golden Rod drew a field of eight juvenile fillies and as part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series offers qualifying points toward the filly classic on a 10-4-2-1 scale.
Famed is the most recent of five foals and the second winner out of the graded stakes-placed Elusive Quality mare Delightful Quality . Essential Quality, by Tapit , took the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) and TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), both at 1 1/16 miles, at 2 and stretched out this year to win the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) at 1 1/2 miles and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at 1 1/4 miles.
Florent Geroux retains the mount on Famed, who will break from the rail.
"She broke her maiden very nicely and was always very well thought of," Michael Banahan, who is transitioning to the director of bloodstock role for Godolphin USA upon Jimmy Bell's retirement at the end of the year, told BloodHorse.
"Brad Cox always thought she was one of the nicer 2-year-olds he's had for us," Banahan added.
(1) Famed rounds out the #Keeneland Fall Race Meet with jockey @flothejock aboard. (5) Honeycomb and (11) Catwings follow in Race 10. pic.twitter.com/2wTAFrL2Hf
— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) October 30, 2021
Trainer Kenny McPeek has two Golden Rod entries, led by runaway Rags to Riches Stakes winner Sandstone . Susan Moulton's Street Sense filly has made all three of her starts at Churchill Downs and won her last two races in October. She broke her maiden by nine lengths going a mile in the slop before drawing off by 10 3/4 lengths in the Rags to Riches, the same distance as the Golden Rod. Brian Hernandez Jr. was aboard for both wins and will be back in the irons from post 4.
Sandstone wins the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs
If their form remains the same Saturday, both Famed and Sandstone could find themselves on or just off the pace.
McPeek's second entry is Livin the Dream 2020's Hal's Dream , who in her lone start rallied from 11th to win by a nose racing 1 1/16 miles on good Keeneland turf. McPeek opted to run the Exaggerator filly in the Golden Rod due to the race coming up with a short field.
The trainer had hoped to run Milam Farm's allowance winner Penny Saver , but said that filly has been retired due to a sesamoid injury and will be bred next year.
Mr. and Mrs. Tsunebumi Yoshihara's Rags to Riches runner-up Yuugiri also returns in the Golden Rod. The Shackleford filly was second throughout behind Sandstone, following a 7 1/4-length debut win sprinting at Churchill in September for trainer Rodolphe Brisset.
The field also includes last-out Churchill maiden winners Secret Oath and Cancel This . Dream Lith and Code for Success will take another shot at finishing in the money in a graded stakes.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 27, 2021, Race 10Entries: Golden Rod S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Famed (KY)
Florent Geroux
122
Brad H. Cox
2/1
2
2Cancel This (KY)
Joel Rosario
122
Dale L. Romans
20/1
3
3Secret Oath (KY)
David Cohen
122
D. Wayne Lukas
15/1
4
4Sandstone (KY)
Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
122
Kenneth G. McPeek
8/5
5
5Hal's Dream (KY)
Corey J. Lanerie
122
Kenneth G. McPeek
20/1
6
6Yuugiri (KY)
Tyler Gaffalione
122
Rodolphe Brisset
3/1
7
7Dream Lith (KY)
Ramon A. Vazquez
122
Robertino Diodoro
8/1
8
8Code for Success (KY)
Rafael Bejarano
122
Victoria H. Oliver
12/1
