Tom Amoss, who has been training for more than three decades, paid Hoosier Philly another high compliment when the two-year-old filly turned in another dominating performance in Saturday’s $400,000 Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs.
“I hope it doesn’t come across as arrogant, and I don’t mean it to be, but I’ve never been around one like her before in my entire life. And I’ve been doing this since 1987,” he said. “She is different from anything I’ve ever had.”
All this came after Hoosier Philly cantered to her second consecutive stakes win of the Churchill fall meet, winning the Golden Rod by five lengths under Edgar Morales. Four weeks ago, Hoosier Philly won the Rags to Riches S. in similar fashion in the slop by 7 1/2 lengths.
Owned by Gold Standard Racing Stable, Hoosier Philly paid $2.96 in the Golden Rod as the heavy, odds-on favorite in a field of eight. She covered 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.94, 1.31 seconds faster than Instant Coffee’s time in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) for males one race later.
Finishing second in the Golden Rod was Knockyoursocksoff, who had a neck on Pretty Mischievous. Pure Pauline, Defining Purpose, T Max, and American Rockette were next across the wire. Take Charge Briana was pulled up and vanned off.
For her win in the Golden Rod, Hoosier Philly earned 10 qualifying points for the 2023 Kentucky Oaks (G1). Knockyoursocksoff earned four points, Pretty Mischievous three points, Pure Pauline two points, and Defining Purpose one point.
Hoosier Philly will enter quarters undefeated from three starts. She preceded her win in the Oct. 30 Rags to Riches with a 1 3/4-length maiden tally going 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill on Sept. 25.
“We were hopeful to get her started mid-summer. We weren’t able to do that. She had the little two-year-old things that horses have,” Amoss said. “It required some patience. We actually ran her a distance that’s not her distance (less than six furlongs). She looked good, but no one got to really see what she is.”
Bred in Kentucky by Candy Meadows and sold for $510,000 at Keeneland September, Hoosier Philly is by Into Mischief and out of Tapella, by Tapit.
