Harvey’s Lil Goil surged to the lead in upper stretch and gamely denied favored Crystal Cliffs by a head in Saturday’s $100,000 Regret (G3) at Churchill Downs. Winner of the Busher Invitational S. on the main track two starts previously, the gray daughter of American Pharoah notched her first turf win for Bill Mott and scored at 11-1 odds among 13 sophomore fillies.
Martin Garcia was up for the Estate of Harvey A. Clarke and Paul Braverman.
Bred in Kentucky by Clarke, Harvey’s Lil Goil finished fourth when making her debut on turf last November and then switched to dirt to break her maiden convincingly. After winning the Busher by 7 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct, she experienced a troubled trip in the early stages and wound up 11TH in the May 1 Fantasy (G3) at Oaklawn Park.
Harvey’s Lil Goil broke sharply and tracked pacesetter Eve of War in second before making her move, and she completed the 1 1/8-mile turf affair in 1:47.70. Crystal Cliffs, the 13-10 favorite, stalked inside of horses and rallied inside of the winner in deep stretch to come up a little short. It was 1 1/2 lengths to In Good Spirits in third, and Pass the Plate, Dominga, Stunning Sky, Hendy Woods, Micheline, Eve of War, Wexx, Edgee Angel, Witez, and His Glory came next under the wire.
The winner hails from a classy female family, with his dam, the unraced Tapit mare Gloria S., being a half-sister to 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another; and multiple Grade 3 winner Golden Award.
The $100,000 Bashford Manor (G3) for 2-year-olds kicked off the stakes action, and Cazadero remained unbeaten in his second start. The Steve Asmussen-trained son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense wore down pacesetter County Final in midstretch and drove to a 4 3/4-length win, scoring as the 2-5 favorite in the seven-horse field.
Ricardo Santana Jr. was up on the Stonestreet Stables homebred, and Cazadero was exiting an 8 3/4-length score over the track on May 29. He finished the 6-furlong distance in 1:09.73. The bay colt is out of the multiple Grade 3-winning millionaire Wild Gams, a daughter of Forest Wildcat.
County Final, Herd Immunity, Hulen, Hyperfocus, Gatsby, and Crown and Coke completed the order of finish.
