Undefeated Good Cheer reached a racing pinnacle with a clear victory in the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 2 at Churchill Downs, a win that at the same time suggested even bigger and better things might be on the horizon.
Consider what unfolded in Friday's 1 1/8-mile test that plays as a classic even though it doesn't officially carry that status.
Despite racing three or four wide in the first turn and five wide in the far turn, Good Cheer powered past four accomplished but overmatched fillies as the field straightened for home.
Her 2 1/4-length margin of victory under Luis Saez over longshot runner-up Drexel Hill is her closest race to date. Third-place Bless the Broken finished another 1 1/4 lengths back in the spread-out field of 13.
The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro has won her seven starts by a combined 44 1/2 lengths, a stretch that has included five stakes wins, three grade 2 scores, and now a grade 1 win.
Saez, who guided Secret Oath to a Kentucky Oaks victory in 2022, said Good Cheer is the top 3-year-old filly he's ridden.
"She's a very special filly," Saez said. "Comparing horses is tough, but I believe this is the best filly I've ever been on. I won the Kentucky Oaks with Secret Oath but this one? She's undefeated, so she has to be at number one."
Good Cheer would start Friday's race as the 6-5 favorite, matching the morning-line favoritism she earned after extending her perfect record to six with scores in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes and Fair Grounds Oaks (both G2) in February and March at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
But when the gates opened, she would await her time to strike. As promised by trainer Mark Casse in the days before the Oaks, Ashland Stakes (G1) winner La Cara charged to the early lead under Dylan Davis while Santa Anita Oaks (G2) winner Tenma and longshot Anna's Promise shadowed her into the turn. Those three continued their front-end battle through a half-mile in :46.78 and six furlongs in 1:11.36.
As typical, Good Cheer rated in midpack before moving wide into the far turn to set up her winning rally. The early speed would fade while late-running longshots Drexel Hill and Bless the Broken took advantage to land the minor placings. But they never threatened the winner, who completed the race in 1:50.15 on the sealed track rated as wet fast.
In the seeming chaos of a 13-horse race, Good Cheer seemed to keep things in order. Even before the race as the fillies paraded before a crowd of 100,910 fans on a track inundated by a storm that had passed through about a hour before the race, the in-house camera spotted winning trainer Brad Cox intently watching a video screen in the paddock. Upon realizing he was on the video board, Cox flashed a big smile for the camera.
He had plenty reason to be loose as Good Cheer calmly paraded before perking up as she spotted the familiar sight of a starting gate. Cox traces that confidence to the way Good Cheer has just put away some top fillies in her four previous stakes wins. In a word: class.
"There were some fillies that have run equally as fast as her based off some sheets or speed figures, whatever you want to use," said Cox, who also sent out Kentucky Oaks winners Monomoy Girl in 2018 and Shedaresthedevil in 2020. "She's always passed the eyeball test. When she travels around the turn, you're thinking 'She's coming,' and then all of a sudden—in the blink of an eye—she's three in front of them."
Oaks second-choice Quietside, who entered off back-to-back graded stakes wins at Oaklawn Park, was sent off at 6-1. After breaking from the outside post, the filly from the final crop of Malibu Moon tracked the early leaders approaching the first turn where jockey Jose Ortiz opted to try to save some ground. She would track three or four wide in the backstretch but lacked kick in the far turn and finished sixth.
Gazelle Stakes (G3) winner Ballerina d'Oro bobbled at the start and was bumped. She finished 10th.
Drexel Hill had entered off a victory in the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in which the daughter of Bolt d'Oro rallied late.
"I didn't like how far she set herself back for the first almost three-quarters of a race," said trainer Whit Beckman of Drexel Hill earning her first grade 1 placing. "But (jockey Ben Curtis) got her in a nice motion late and I was kind of having some Aqueduct flashbacks. Good Cheer is such an impressive filly, catching her was going to be tough. I'm so proud of how she ran."
Trainer Will Walden said Bless the Broken is a "super-good filly," after the daughter of Laoban earned her first grade 1 placing as well.
After the race, Cox and Godolphin USA director of bloodstock Michael Banahan didn't commit to facing males this season as Banahan noted the many terrific races for 3-year-old fillies on the horizon.
The victory is the second Kentucky Oaks win for Godolphin, which after finding this race to be a bit elusive now has won it with a pair of homebreds in recent years following Pretty Mischievous in 2023. It's a meaningful race for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as well as the United States team as many made the short trip from Lexington to Louisville, Ky., Friday.
"He puts a lot of resources into it," Banahan said of Sheikh Mohammed. "These are the types of races that Godolphin wants to participate in and try to win. To have horses good enough that have opportunity to do that, that's what we're trying to do.
"We were very lucky a couple of years ago to be able to win it with Pretty Mischievous—another homebred filly. It's a fantastic program to be part of. And they're all homebred horses that we've had for the last several years winning some of these nice races. To get to the top of the mountain in the Oaks; it feels fantastic."
Good Cheer is out of two-time grade 1 winner Wedding Toast, who also has produced stakes winner Ya Hayati.
Godolphin also stands Good Cheer's sire, 26-year-old Medaglia d'Oro , who continues to throw top horses as he wraps up his 21st year at stud. Good Cheer is the third Kentucky Oaks winner for Medaglia d'Oro—following Rachel Alexandra in 2009 and 2011 winner Plum Pretty. Medaglia d'Oro stands for $75,000 at the farm near Lexington.
"It's tremendous. He's a 26-year-old stallion who has had a rejuvenation here in the last couple of years. To come and have a another Oaks winner after he's had a couple of winners of the race before?" Banahan said before shaking his head in appreciation of the accomplishment. "It would be nice to think Good Cheer could step in the shoes of a Rachel Alexandra or something like that. That'd be great. He's a tremendous stallion."
Rachel Alexandra went on to earn Horse of the Year honors in 2009 on a fast track to the Racing Hall of Fame, so no one is taking for granted that Good Cheer will follow in those footsteps. But after watching Friday's Oaks win, no one's ruling it out.
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