Intricate Makes It Look Easy in Golden Rod Score

One of the fillies flying below the radar before the start of the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2), Intricate  stamped herself as a contender to watch on next year's Kentucky Oaks (G1) trail by the race's end with a commanding victory Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs.

The 2-year-old daughter of Gun Runner  , who trainer Brendan Walsh always thought would be "better around two turns," was fifth in her six-furlong debut Sept. 16 at Churchill Downs. Stretching out to 1 1/16 miles in her next outing, Intricate rallied to a handy 3 1/2-length score during the Keeneland fall meet in her springboard to stakes competition.

Overlooked at 6-1 odds and facing formidable rivals in last-out Rags to Riches Stakes victress West Sunset and the undefeated Thorpedo Anna , Intricate pulled off the mild upset and pocketed 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks in the process in the final weekend of the Churchill Downs fall meet.

As expected, West Sunset tore through early splits of :23.30, :47.31, and 1:12.48 on an unhinged lead while jockey Tyler Gaffalione nursed Intricate through the perfect stalking trip in third. Saving ground along the rail, Gaffalione bode his time around the final turn and when the wavering pacesetter drifted in, he spurred Intricate through a seam at the top of the stretch. Intricate drove past her rivals and thundered to the wire in a 5 1/4-length procession.

Galloping out powerfully past the wire, Intricate ($14.66) stopped the timer in 1:45.01 for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track.

Favored Thorpedo Anna was a neck better than Frizette (G2) runner-up Central Avenue  in second. West Sunset faded to finish last in the field of eight. Thorpedo Anna (5), Central Avenue (3), fourth place finisher Dozen Diamonds  (2), and fifth place finisher Gin Gin  (1) all earned points toward the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Thorpedo Anna, wheeling back in 15 days after an impressive allowance win at Churchill, gave up considerable ground at the start when missing the break. Advancing to fourth while wide down the backstretch, she couldn't make much of a dent in the winner's sizable margin down the lane.

Purchased by Bradley Thoroughbreds for $280,000 out of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, Intricate races for the partnership of Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scott Estes, and Cambron Equine. Intricate, the first foal out of the Distorted Humor  mare Complex Analysis, was bred in Kentucky by LBD Stable.

Intricate is by leading third crop stallion Gun Runner, the sire of 2023 grade 1 winners Echo Zulu, Gunite  , and Locked . She is his third graded stakes winning 2-year-old this year following Locked (Breeders' Futurity, G1) and Chatalas  (Chandelier Stakes, G2). The leading first crop and second crop sire of his class, Gun Runner will stand the 2024 breeding season at Three Chimneys Farm for a fee of $250,000. Intricate was his 25th black-type stakes winner.

What They Said:

"She's a very easy filly to train and does it all by herself. She's just been starting to come around and really put things together today. We've always thought she's a true two-turn filly. Last year this race worked out well for the development of Pretty Mischievous (2023 Kentucky Oaks winner). We'll see where we end up down the road with her but I'm sure we'll entertain the Fair Grounds races like we did last year." -Brendan Walsh

Video: Golden Rod S. (G2)