Charles Carlton’s Pickett wired the 1ST race at Evangeline Downs on Wednesday evening by 6 1/2 lengths while making his career debut, and in the process gave dual Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) hero GOLDENCENTS his first winner as a sire.
Pickett grabbed command from the start under jockey Tim Thornton and never looked back en route to completing 4 1/2 furlongs over the fast main track in :52.87. The dark bay gelding is trained by Glenn Delahoussaye and was bred in Louisiana by William D. Pickett. He is out of the unraced Dixie Brass mare Street Beat, making him a half-brother to multiple stakes winners Ahead of Her Time and Hisse.
Goldencents also romped in his maiden debut, which came at Del Mar in September 2012. He immediately stepped up to face Grade 1 rivals in his next effort, grabbing second in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, before closing out his juvenile campaign with a 1 3/4-length wire job in the Delta Downs Jackpot (G3).
The bay son of Into Mischief followed the Santa Anita Park path to the 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1) as a sophomore, sandwiching a fourth in the San Felipe Stakes (G2) between wins in the Sham Stakes (G3) and Santa Anita Derby (G1). He was unable to showcase his talent in the Run for the Roses, being eased late to finish 17th on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Leandro Mora gave Goldencents another shot at classic glory in the Preakness Stakes (G1) two weeks later, and the colt improved to be fifth on that occasion. He headed back to California instead of trying the Belmont Stakes (G1) and was given a nice break before returning to rack up a trio of seconds in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1), Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2) and Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1).
Goldencents was entered in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile next and found his way back to the winner’s circle with a 2 3/4-length score at Santa Anita. He closed out his sophomore campaign with a final unplaced effort, this time in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct. The Kentucky-bred wouldn’t be seen in competition again until June 2014, when he finished second in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park.
Once again returning to California, Goldencents was second in the Bing Crosby, captured the Pat O’Brien and filled the runner-up spot in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship en route to another win in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita, which concluded his time on track.
Retired with an 18-7-7-0, $3,044,000 career record, Goldencents entered stud at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, in 2015, where he stands there for a live foal fee of $12,500.
