Drexel Hill, runner-up in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), returns to the starting gate for her first race since the Run for the Lillies in the $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes (G2) Nov. 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Whit Beckman for Legion Racing, Drexel Hill outran her 32-1 odds in the May 2 Oaks when closing to finish 2 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Good Cheer. The effort followed the Bolt d'Oro filly's score in the Busher Invitational Stakes at the Big A in March.
"That was an amazing effort (in the Kentucky Oaks)," Beckman said. "The pace wasn't real firm that day. We were farther back than we wanted to be. We are assuming that hopefully, when she comes back, she doesn't keep herself so far back. We'd like her to be a little more forwardly placed."
Following the Oaks, Drexel Hill underwent surgery for a small chip in her knee. She resumed training over the summer and posted her first published work at Saratoga Race Course in August. Based through the fall at Churchill Downs, she'll make the journey north in hopes of striking glory once again at the South Ozone Park, N.Y. oval.
"She came back very quickly and seems to be stronger than ever," Beckman said. "She has been off for quite a while. Coming back at a mile and an eighth at Aqueduct is no easy task.
We are in the latter part of the year now; there are strong fillies who have been running. We are coming in off a layoff, so we'll take it all under consideration."
Regular rider Ben Curtis will be aboard. The pair will break from the outermost post in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies.
Among the sea of shippers in Saturday's field is the Doug O'Neill-trained So There She Was. The filly that calls California home successfully took her show on the road with a last-out victory in the $200,000 Remington Oaks Sept. 28 over the reopposing Lemon Zest. The 1 1/8-mile Mother Goose will be the longest distance the daughter of Munnings has attempted yet, although she handled the 1 1/16-miles at Remington with little issue.
Other notable runners making the trip to New York include Team Valor International's Queen Azteca, a grade 3 winner in Dubai who makes her first start for new trainer Rudy Brisset; Ourdaydreaminggirl, an excellent third at 42-1 odds in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) to Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1)-fourth place finisher Clicquot; and the Cherie DeVaux-trained Being Myself, an impressive first-level allowance winner at Churchill Downs Sept. 26.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 8, 2025, Race 9Entries: Mother Goose S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Being Myself (KY) John R. Velazquez 118 Cherie DeVaux 6/1 2 2Queen Azteca (KY) Jose Lezcano 122 Rodolphe Brisset 12/1 3 3Lemon Zest (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Brad H. Cox 9/2 4 4Ourdaydreaminggirl (KY) Eliseo Ruiz 118 Louis C. Linder, Jr. 8/1 5 5Filly Freedom (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 118 Chad C. Brown 15/1 6 6Fully Subscribed (KY) Dylan Davis 118 Chad C. Brown 4/1 7 7Cue the Duckboats (KY) Junior Alvarado 118 William I. Mott 6/1 8 8So There She Was (KY) Joel Rosario 120 Doug F. O'Neill 6/1 9 9Drexel Hill (KY) Ben Curtis 120 D. Whitworth Beckman 7/2
