Holding Gold Holds Sway in Shakertown

Live Oak Plantation’s Holding Gold made the last move the winning one as the 4-year-old son of Lonhro ran down Green Mask close to home to win the $200,000 Shakertown Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland April 8.

The victory was the second consecutive stakes score on the card for Live Oak, trainer Mark Casse, and rider Joel Rosario, who teamed up to win the Commonwealth Stakes (G3) with Awesome Slew right before the Shakertown.

Holding Gold, a homebred for Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak, took the Quick Call Stakes at Saratoga Race Course last summer but had been on the shelf for six months, since an off-the-board finish in the Woodford Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland last autumn. The colt has now won four of nine lifetime starts and $274,835.

Holding Gold was bred in Florida out of the Golden Missile mare In the Gold.

"Last year we ran him here, and he got beat (2 3/4) lengths in his last start (the Woodford). I said to (owner) Mrs. (Charlotte) Weber, 'He's only 3 years old. Let's send him home, let him grow up, and if he grows up over the winter, he's going to be as good as any turf sprinter in North America,'" Casse said. "So maybe we do have one."

Favored Mongolian Saturday broke alertly in the 5 ½-furlong Shakertown with Justin Squared keeping him close company on the rail and Shakhimat doing likewise from the outside. Justin Square grabbed the lead with the first quarter mile going in :22.07 and the half in a quick :44.93. Mongolian Saturday and Shakhimat clung closely to the leader, but it was Green Mask, coming up the rail, who grabbed the lead in the stretch and looked like a winner. Holding Gold, under Rosario, ran by Green Mask 50 yards from home and prevailed by a neck in 1:02.29. Hogy came on late to grab third, with Partly Mocha finishing fourth.

Holding Gold returned $38.20, $14.60, and $7.60. Green Mask paid $4.80 and $3.20, with Hogy good for $3.00.