The $400,000 Golden Rod (G2) is one of the few notable races at Churchill Downs the powerhouse Brad Cox stable has not yet won. Bettors are likely to think that changes on Saturday when the track’s signature event for two-year-old fillies is renewed over 1 1/16 miles.
The Golden Rod is a 2025 Road to the Kentucky Oaks series event, with the respective top five finishers earning qualifying points of 10-5-3-2-1 for the Grade 1 event next May. The Golden Rod/Kentucky Oaks double was last pulled off in 2008-09 by Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra.
Cox’s best juvenile filly is the likely division champion, three-time Grade 1 winner Immersive. Stablemate Good Cheer perhaps has the potential to be just as good as she seeks her first graded score in the Golden Rod. She’s been an unstoppable force coming in, winning her debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis by 8 1/4 lengths, a Churchill Downs allowance by 17 lengths, and the Rags to Riches S. by 4 3/4 lengths. And like Rachel Alexandra, Good Cheer is a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro.
Cox’s second string in the Golden Rod is Eclatant, a precocious sort who won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden on June 21 and also won her second start, a six-furlong allowance at Keeneland in early October. She is by Into Mischief and from the family of 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner White Abarrio.
Quietside will be happy to escape the view of Immersive, having run second to that division leader in the Spinaway (G1) and then third in the Alcibiades (G1). The Saratoga graduate races for John Ed Anthony’s Shortleaf Stable and is trained by John Ortiz.
The other four fillies in the Golden Rod have form to find. Sturgeon Moon enters off a 31-1 upset in a slowly-run allowance at Keeneland, while Fixin to Bee, My Lil Punky, and Flash Wear all needed three starts to pass the maiden ranks.
A larger group of speedier juvenile fillies will contest the $225,000 Fern Creek S. over 6 1/2 furlongs. Echo Sound and Praying enter having run one-two in the Myrtlewood S. at Keeneland, while the stakes-winning Shezafunkydrummer shortens up after running sixth in the Jessamine (G2) going two turns on the grass. Also worth noting are Tempted S. runner-up Impulse Buy and Shisospicy, a 16 1/4-length debut winner at Gulfstream for Jose D’Angelo.
