Dothraki Queen Heads Golden Rod

Magdalena Racing's Dothraki Queen, winner of the Pocahontas Stakes (gr. II) and third in last month's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I), is the one to beat in Churchill Downs' Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) Nov. 28. The $200,000 race for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles goes as race nine (4:35 p.m. ET) under the Twin Spires on a program traditionally devoted to juvenile racing.



While the class of the nine-horse line-up as a closer, she'll have plenty of quality fillies to run down in the stretch. Corey Lanerie will ride and they'll break from the outside post.



Trained by Ken McPeek, Dothraki Queen closed from seventh to win the Pocahontas back on Sept. 12 at Churchill going the Golden Rod trip. She then closed from ninth to run second to Gomo in the slop at Keeneland in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I). In the Breeders' Cup, also at Keeneland, she was 10th early before closing to finish third behind the stellar Songbird. Dothraki Queen missed catching runner-up Rachel's Valentina by 1 1/4 lengths.



By Pure Prize out of the Saint Ballado mare Sharaiji Blossom, Dothraki Queen was a $35,000 Keeneland September yearling last year. She was bred by Liberty Road Stables.



McPeek won the 2010 Golden Rod with Kathmanblu.



Mike Rutherford's homebred Stageplay, by Curlin  , was an impressive winner of the one-mile Rags to Riches Stakes over the local track Nov. 1. Stageplay, who is two-for-two lifetime with a maiden win at Keeneland Oct. 10 at seven-furlongs, is out of the stakes-winning Stage Stop, the dam of stakes winner She Digs Me (by Henny Hughes) and classic-placed Mylute (by Midnight Lute  ).



In both of her wins Stageplay has topped fillies she'll face in the Golden Rod. She defeated Carina Mia by three lengths in her debut and defeated Dream Dance (who was also third in the Pocahontas) in the Rags to Riches.



Three Chimneys Farm's Carina Mia, by Malibu Moon  , is a half sister to Miss Match, a grade/group I winner in her native Argentina and in the United States. Both Malibu Moon and Indygo Shiner, the sire of Miss Match, are sons of A.P. Indy. Following her runner-up effort in her debut Oct. 10 at Keeneland, Carina Mia broke her maiden by 9 3/4 lengths at the Lexington track Oct. 29.



In the Golden Rod she'll break from post eight under Julien Leparoux. Bred by Spendthrift Farm, Carina Mia was a $410,000 Keeneland September yearling sale purchase.



Breaking from the wood is Mike Bruder's Susies Yankee Girl, who is also unbeaten in two starts and both of her efforts have come over the Churchill main track. She flew home from ninth to ace her maiden by 2 1/4 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs Sept. 25, and then won an allowance/optional claimer at six furlongs Nov. 1 for trainer Dale Romans. Romans won the 2009 Golden Rod with Sassy Image.