It doesn’t matter what occurs over the subsequent three weeks, September 2024 will likely be a month to recollect for house owners Perry and Ramona Bass, Corridor of Fame coach Richard Mandella, and others related to the turf horse Goliad .
Racing within the $1.8 million Mint Tens of millions Stakes (G3T) Sept. 7, the speedy turf miler received his second race of the brief Kentucky Downs meet, main from begin to end, simply as he did six days earlier within the $481,200 Sticker Mule In a single day Handicap. Even his time for a mile on turf was related—1:33.38 after he clocked 1:33.12 within the Sept. 1 Sticker Mule.
An 9-1 shot, Goliad at all times appeared as if he could be powerful to catch, racing uncontested on the lead beneath jockey Flavien Prat. Away from rivals for a lot of the lengthy Kentucky Downs stretch, he hit the wire a size forward of a closing Money Fairness in second.
Goliad wins the G3 Mint Tens of millions for house owners Perry Bass II and Ramona Bass. Richard Mandella trains the gelding, and Flavien Prat was aboard. #KyDowns pic.twitter.com/ixFmUxN7Ia
— Kentucky Downs (@KYDownsRacing) September 7, 2024
“This was the primary time I rode him in a very long time,” mentioned Prat. “It felt like he was going straightforward. He is a tough horse to trip, however what an important job by Mr. Mandella. The primary half he is good and relaxed. You then do a couple of furlong and he will get on the bridle, and will get his momentum going. In the event you combat him, he simply fights again. So I used to be simply attempting to maintain him pleased. To be sincere, on the eighth pole, I used to be anxious as a result of I knew they had been coming. He was simply courageous sufficient to win, to remain on. “
Favored Discuss of the Nation grabbed third forward of Reckoning Drive in fourth.
Historical Rome , final yr’s winner, ran seventh.
The winner was one in all three horses in Saturday’s race to make their second begin of the meet. Money Fairness and Irish Aces (sixth) additionally returned on brief relaxation.
Taylor Cambra, Mandella’s assistant coach, mentioned Goliad’s prior Kentucky Downs win in simpler firm “was like a breeze to him.”
“We would not have run him again if he wasn’t 100%,” Cambra continued. “He is been nice all the way in which coming as much as this race, to take a shot. We at all times knew he had the expertise. He is good proper now, and he loves this monitor. So we went forward and took benefit of it.”
Money Fairness’s coach, Saffie Joseph Jr., added: “Right here is your new handicapping angle: guess the horses which might be operating again in six days.”
Printed fractions within the race had been :23.14, :44.92, 1:08, and 1:20.37.
Goliad returned $21.14 to win.
A homebred 7-year-old son of Warfare Entrance out of the Dynaformer mare Choreograph , Goliad banked $1,195,200 for Saturday’s victory. He earned $300,000 within the Sticker Mule. For his profession, Goliad has received six of 20 begins and eared $1,758,571.
Earlier than his success at Kentucky Downs, his most vital victory had occurred in February within the Thunder Highway Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.
He’s amongst 5 black-type horses for his dam. A type of black-type horses, Dancing to City , received the Kentucky Downs Girls Turf Stakes in 2013.
Warfare Entrance, one of many prime turf sires in North America, stood this previous season at Claiborne Farm for a $100,000 price.
Video: Mint Tens of millions S. (G3T)
