Unbeaten Kentucky Oaks Winner Good Cheer Aims for Acorn

Based on what the connections of Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Good Cheer have seen in the weeks since the Godolphin homebred secured her seventh win in as many starts, rivals in the June 6 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course are going to have to beat her at her best. While the 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro easily extended her perfect record to seven with a 2 1/4-length win in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks on a wet-fast track at Churchill Downs, competitors looking for some hope might note that her longest race to date marked her closest finish to date. Of course it's more likely that the "close" Kentucky Oaks margin points to her dominance in her first seven races, which she's won by a combined 44 1/2 lengths. Good Cheer will try for a second straight grade 1 score and fifth straight graded stakes victory when she starts as the 1-2 morning-line favorite in the Acorn Friday. She's one of seven 3-year-old fillies entered in the 1 1/8-mile test. "She's in great shape and came out of the Kentucky Oaks very well," Godolphin USA director of bloodstock Michael Banahan said. "Her works have been excellent leading up to the Acorn and it seems like she's getting even better. We're just enjoying the ride and she's a special filly." Banahan did acknowledge that with each new hurdle, some jitters arrive with that enjoyment. "The longer they stay undefeated, a little more pressure comes on to keep that streak going." Conditioned by Brad Cox, Good Cheer has breezed three times at Churchill since her Kentucky Oaks score, going a half-mile May 15 followed by a pair of five-furlong moves May 22 and May 29, completing that most recent breeze in 1:00 1/5 on a fast track. Regular rider Luis Saez will ride Friday. Traditionally the Acorn had been contested going the one-turn mile at Belmont Park but it was extended to 1 1/16 miles at Belmont in 2023 before going to 1 1/8 miles last year at Saratoga. It will be contested at that distance again this year, which figures to be to the liking of 3-1 morning-line second-choice Shred the Gnar, who will make her stakes debut in the Acorn. Trained by Brian Lynch, Shred the Gnar will be trying 1 1/8 miles for the first time but the daughter of multiple leading sire Into Mischief—Aspen Light, by classic winner Bernardini, has stretched out in each of her three starts. Campaigned by Flying Dutchmen, Shred the Gnar won a maiden race by 6 1/2 lengths March 16 going the one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park before taking an allowance optional claimer by seven lengths in her two-turn debut, a 1 1/16-mile test to open the May 2 Kentucky Oaks card at Churchill. The field also includes a trio of Kentucky Oaks starters in Ashland Stakes (G1) winner La Cara, who led the Kentucky Oaks early before fading to ninth; third-place Kentucky Oaks finisher Bless the Broken; and two-time grade 1-placed Quickick, who finished seventh in the Oaks. Eight Belles Stakes (G2) winner Look Forward will try 1 1/8 miles for the first time while last year's Frizette Stakes (G1) winner Scottish Lassie will start from the rail.