E. Paul Robsham Stables LLC’s homebred Golden Lad (Medaglia d’Oro) just ran
down pacesetter and 31-1 longshot Ecleto Red (Master Command) to take Saturday
evening’s
Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. (G3) by 1 1/2 lengths.
Jockey Javier Castellano piloted Bent on Bourbon (Arch) to score in the Iowa
Derby (G3) one race before, and scored back-to-back graded victories when Golden
Lad crossed under the wire in 1:48 4/5 to finish nine furlongs on the fast
Prairie Meadows dirt.
Ecleto Red brought a two-race win streak over the track into the Cornhusker
and tried to lead gate-to-wire. Setting splits of :23 2/5, :48 2/5 and 1:13 1/5,
the chestnut gelding was still going strong entering the lane. Golden Lad and
Page McKenney (Eavesdropper) kept pace throughout and put in sustained bids
during the stretch run, but weren’t getting to Ecleto Red at first.
Finally, Golden Lad began inching closer and just managed to pass the
longshot in the shadow of the wire to return $4.60. Ecleto Red had three parts
of a length to spare on Page McKenney while 5-2 second choice Carve (First
Samurai) came in fourth another 5 3/4 lengths behind.
The Todd Pletcher-trained Golden Lad is now 8-2-0 from 15 career starts and
has banked $645,320 in lifetime earnings. The Kentucky-bred five-year-old earned
his fourth stakes win in this spot, already boasting scores in last year’s
Razorback H. (G3) and this season’s Mountainview H. and Essex H.
Golden Lad is out of the stakes-winning Broadway Gold (Seeking the Gold),
making him a half-brother to Grade 2 victress Broadway’s Alibi (Vindication) and
Grade 1-placed multiple stakes queen R Gypsy Gold (Bernardini). Broadway Gold is
herself a half-sister to Grade 1 conqueror Dialed In (Mineshaft).
Champion two-year-old filly Eliza (Mt. Livermore), runner-up in the 1993
Kentucky Oaks (G1), is Golden Lad’s third dam.
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