Golden Rod

Steve Stan Stables' FRENCH PARK (Ecton Park) mowed down She Says It Best

(Stormy Atlantic) to capture the $222,200

Golden Rod S. (G2) at Churchill Downs

on Saturday. The strongly-made gray filly, still unbeaten in three career starts

for trainer Helen Pitts, stopped the clock in 1:47 1/5 for 1 1/16 miles on a

fast track. This score more than doubled the juvenile's bankroll, which now

stands at $243,761.

French Park was reserved well off the early pace by rider Mark Guidry after

she engaged in bumping matches with Magnificent Song (Unbridled's Song) and

Dance Daily (Five Star Day). Up front, Beau Dare (Military) led the way through

an opening quarter in :23 3/5 but couldn't hold the advantage. She Says It Best, not content to allow Beau Dare

to dictate terms, wrested the lead approaching the half in :47 1/5 and spurted

to a clear advantage, getting six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 and a mile in 1:39 4/5.

As Beau Dare began to fade from the scene, French Park and Lady Danza

(Cryptoclearance) launched closing bids that separated them from the remainder

of the pack. She Says It Best still looked firmly in control until inside the

final sixteenth, when French Park whittled steadily into her margin, eventually

wearing down the longtime leader to prevail by three-quarters-of-a-length.

Sent off the favorite at odds of slightly more than 3-2, French Park returned

$5.40, $3 and $2.80 to her investors. She Says It Best paid $4.20 and $3.20 as

the nearly 4-1 third choice, completing a $22.40 exacta. Lady Danza, 2 1/2

lengths back in third at nearly 16-1, gave $6.20 and rounded out a $162.20

trifecta. Giant Commander (Deputy Commander), the longest shot on the board at

more than 28-1, closed belatedly to grab fourth, making the 3-8-5-6 superfecta

worth $723.50.

Beau Dare wound up fifth, followed by Magnificent Song, Tiztimetokinect (Tiznow)

and Dance Daily. Sabatini (Five Star Day), who was to have been the final stakes

mount for retiring jockey Gary Stevens, was scratched.

Bred by Marvin Delfiner in Kentucky, French Park was sold to her present

owners for $75,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Yearling Sale. She is the

first stakes winner for her dam, the winning Darn That Alarm mare Alarming

Prospect, who placed in the 1997 Honey Bee Breeders' Cup H. (G3) at the

Meadowlands. Alarming Prospect has a yearling colt by El Corredor and a weanling

filly by Aptitude.