Good Cheer remains untouchable in Golden Rod

Nov 30, 2024 Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs Racetrack

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024) – Godolphin’s promising homebred 2-year-old filly Good Cheer remained unbeaten in four starts when she put away stablemate Eclatant at the top of the stretch and easily turned back a late run by Quietside to comfortably win Saturday’s 81st running of the $400,000 Golden Rod (Grade II) at Churchill Downs by 2 1/2 lengths.

Good Cheer, a 4 3/4-length winner of the $200,000 Rags to Riches at Churchill Downs a month ago, returned to run 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.26 in a field of seven 2-year-old fillies. It was the second fastest clocking in Golden Rod history, only behind legendary Rachel Alexandra’s 1:43.08 in 2008.

She collected the $242,470 first prize and 10 points as part of the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series, which offers points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers as a “Prep Season” race.

Luis Saez rode the winner for trainer Brad Cox, who saddled his second Golden Rod winner. The other came in 2020 with Travel Column.

My Lil Punky tugged her way to the front and led the field of seven through early fractions of a :24.31 and :48.66 as Eclatant pressed from second and Good Cheer was content to track in relaxed fashion from fifth down the backstretch. Good Cheer made a sweeping three-wide move on the turn to draw even with Eclatant, who put away My Lil Punky after six furlongs in 1:12.55. Good Cheer kicked clear of Eclatant at the three-sixteenths pole as Quietside rallied to hopelessly chase the winner down the stretch only to be a clear second-best.

“She’s been so impressive in all four of her starts so far,” Saez said. “She was really tugging at me around the turn and I knew it was time to go. She finished up really well down the lane.”

Good Cheer is too good in the G2 Golden Rod at @churchilldowns for trainer @bradcoxracing with @luissaezpty aboard! 🏆🏆

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/xivu5wZ3nn

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 30, 2024

Good Cheer paid $3.32, $2.36 and $2.10 as the odds-on 3-5 favorite. Quietside, under Tyler Gaffalione, paid $3.28 and $2.30 at odds of 7-2. Eclatant, at odds of 2-1, was another six lengths back in third and returned $2.32 to show with Florent Geroux up.

Sturgeon Moon finished fourth and was followed by Flash Wear, Fixin to Bee and My Lil Punky.

Good Cheer has beaten her competition by a combined 32 1/2 lengths in four starts. Her earnings now total $457,630.

“Her record really speaks for itself and the style in which she’s won all of those races has been very impressive,” Cox said. “She is another testament to Godolphin’s program. She’s handled everything we’ve done with her, so far, extremely well and I think we haven’t seen her best yet.”

By Medaglia d’Oro, Good Cheer is out of the Street Sense mare Wedding Toast. The bay filly was bred in Kentucky by her owners.