Hardly a secret while attempting to extend her winning streak to three, Good Cheer produced more of the same Sunday afternoon with yet another sparkling victory in the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Squeezed back at the break, the Godolphin homebred found herself back in last as 8-5 second choice Claire's Charm took to the lead. With the leading taking the compact field through a :23.88 initial quarter, Good Cheer positioned herself in a ground-saving fourth, only three lengths from the lead. Continuing to bide her time along the inside route as the half went up in :48.06, the 3-5 favorite was taken off the rail by Luis Saez and swung out three wide turning for home. Moving fastest of all passing the quarter pole while drifting out a hair, she drew off late under a strong hand ride to score by 4 3/4 lengths over Claire's Charm followed by Sherbini.
“She was really impressive again today,” said Saez. “I took her back off horses down the backside and saved ground. She relaxed and handled that very well. Around the turn when I asked her for her best run, she was loaded. She's a very impressive prospect with not a lot of seasoning behind her.”
After making short work of her rivals with a flashy 8 1/4-length victory while going a mile at Indiana Aug. 5, the bay proved it was no fluke when blasting home a gaudy 17-length winner while negotiating an extra sixteenth in the Churchill slop Sept. 28.
Good Cheer is out of dual Grade I winner and $1.4 million earner Wedding Toast, who is also responsible for listed winner Ya Hayati (Dubawi {Ire}). Barren in 2023, she produced a full-sister to Good Cheer this season and was bred back to Into Mischief. This represents the extended family of MGISW Congaree. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
RAGS TO RICHES S., $199,000, Churchill Downs, 10-27, 2yo, f,
1 1/16m, 1:44.00, ft.
1–GOOD CHEER, 122, f, 2, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Wedding Toast (MGISW, $1,419,956),
by Street Sense
2nd Dam: Golden Sheba, by Coronado's Quest
3rd Dam: Mari's Sheba, by Mari's Book
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Luis Saez. $123,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $215,160.
*1/2 to Ya Hayati (Dubawi {Ire}), SW-UAE, $246,924.
2--Claire's Charm, 122, f, 2, Violence–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo.
($385,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Rigney Racing,
LLC; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer.
$40,000.
3–Sherbini, 122, f, 2, Cairo Prince–Shady Violence, by Violence.
($8,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $5,000 Ylg '23 OBSOCT; $40,000 2yo
'24 OBSMAR). O-Bobby Flay, Rocky Top Stable (Ventura) and
James Ventura; B-Pike Place Racing & Roger Keith Long (KY);
T-Mark E. Casse. $20,000.
Margins: 4 3/4, 4HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.74, 1.72, 6.65.
Also Ran: Adeera, Mechaya. Scratched: Alyeska, Lady Orient, My Lil Punky.
GOOD CHEER ($3.48) earned points towards a start in the 2025 Kentucky Oaks with her win in the $200,000 Rags to Riches Stakes at @ChurchillDowns. @bradcoxracing trained the daughter of @DarleyAmerica's Medaglia d'Oro. @luissaezpty was on board for owners @godolphin. pic.twitter.com/C4ohfCPTab
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 27, 2024
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
