West Coast Belle Rolls to Golden Rod Win
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West Coast Belle kept her record perfect in three career starts for owners Gary and Mary West when coming from off the pace to take the $230,400 Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) for 2-year-old fillies Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs .
Angled six wide on the turn, the homebred filly took charge in the stretch and scooted to a 1 1/4-length victory with Shaun Bridgmohan at the reins. She comfortably held off runner-up No Fault of Mine, who had just one horse beaten with more than a quarter mile to run but willingly rallied to pose a threat before flattening out. Heart's Song, at 14-1 odds, was up for third, 6 1/4-lengths back in the 12-horse field.
West Coast Belle won as the 8-5 favorite while becoming the second graded stakes winner on the day for Gainesway's leading sire Tapit . Earlier on Saturday, his 3-year-old daughter Snowbell won the Comely Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
With Pocahontas (gr. II) winner Cristina's Journey in close pursuit and Ancient Goddess tracking from third, Simply Confection set the early tempo, ticking off fractions of :23.73 for the opening quarter and :47.50 for a half mile. Second choice Cristina's Journey got her head in front through six furlongs in 1:13.26, but quickly faded from contention. Bridgmohan brought West Coast Belle with a smart rally to take charge in the stretch and draw clear.
"I had a perfect, ideal trip," Bridgmohan said. "I just had to sit there until it was time to go, press the button and she was all professional. Very nice filly. I waited until I was turning for home and I asked her and that's when she leveled out, and she went on about her business."
The time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:45.52 on a fast track.
Under equal weights of 119 pounds, West Coast Belle paid $5.20, $3.40, and $2.80. No Fault of Mine was worth $5 and $3.40 for second, and Heart's Song paid $3 for third.
I'm a Chatterbox was fourth, followed by Jojo's Melody, Ancient Goddess, Cristina's Journey, Martz, Carta de Oro, Simply Confection, Seeking Paradise, and Kathballu.
West Coast Belle, bred in Kentucky by the Wests and trained by Wayne Catalano, was is out of the winning Unbridled's Song mare Splendid Solution. Third dam Dispute won the 1993 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
West Coast Belle earned $132,849 for the victory and had banked $190,446 in her brief career.
"We've never had any problems with her ever since she was foaled out, and the mare just nicked real well with Tapit and at the time we bred to Tapit he wasn't the hot sire that he is today," owner Gary West said. "But we're happy to have a filly by Tapit right now who is a grade II winner and we still own the mare. So that helps the mare a great deal. We'll keep the mare; we're racing people. We don't sell a lot; we breed mostly to race."
The Golden Rod is part of the "Road to the Kentucky Oaks" series of races that awards points that are used to determine the field if more than 14 fillies are entered in the 2015 Kentucky Oaks. West Coast Belle picked up 10 points, with four going to No Fault of Mine, two to Heart's Song, and one to fourth-place finisher I'm a Chatterbox.