Gould’s Gold (inside) just misses in the Sir Barton May 18 at Pimlico (Anika Miskar/Past The Wire)
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— 4 G Racing, Lance Gasaway and Magdalena Farm’s Grade 3-placed Gould’s Gold worked Saturday over Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, on July 27 at the Spa.
The Kenny McPeek trainee was among the first to step onto the fast track shortly after its 5:30 a.m. opening and was accompanied by unraced stablemate Summer Diet – a $250,000 colt by Vino Rosso – to commence their work together. Gould’s Gold, piloted on the outside by regular jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., sat just off Summer Diet through the turn and swept past his workmate with ease in the stretch to put several lengths between them and complete a half-mile in 47 3/5 seconds, according to NYRA clockers. Summer Diet was timed in 48.55.
“He worked fantastic,” McPeek said. “It was a very good work. I wanted him to stalk off another horse and then finish, which he did.”
Gould’s Gold was last seen finishing a good second to likely returning rival Batten Down in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 22 at Thistledown, where he tracked the pace set by his victorious rival and put in a four-wide move to hold onto second by three-quarter lengths over Copper Tax. He also was second in the Sir Barton on May 18 at Pimlico Race Course where he was beaten a nose by Corporate Power, who exited that race to run a respectable second in the Curlin here yesterday.
#9 BATTEN DOWN ($8.60) goes wire to wire in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3). @JuniorandKellyA was in the irons for trainer Bill Mott and owner @JuddmonteFarms.
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 22, 2024
A 3YO colt by Tapit out of Close Hatches, Batten Down is a full-brother to MGSW Tacitus and recent G3 winner Scylla. pic.twitter.com/lpoKQmtEzE
Gould’s Gold has also been the workmate of multiple Grade 1-winner Thorpedo Anna, who breezed in company with him last week over the Oklahoma in 1:01.55 in anticipation of her start as the 1-2 morning line favorite in today’s Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks.
McPeek reported that his two contenders from yesterday’s $135,000 Curlin – Django and Elephants Ear – emerged from their respective fourth and fifth-place finishes in good order and will eye some class relief next out.
“They’re fine, but Elephants Ear lost a shoe in the race and staggered home,” said McPeek. “The other colt ran his best race, he was just no match for them. We’ll look at allowance conditions for both of them.”
