Cox Looks for Back-to-Back Wins in Golden Rod Stakes

The $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs is the next stop on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Trainer Brad Cox will look for a second consecutive win in the event with Rags to Riches Stakes winner Life of Joy, who currently sits seventh on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) leaderboard with 10 points. Last year's Golden Rod Stakes proved to be an important stepping stone for eventual Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro also won the Rags to Riches for Cox and owner Godolphin, and went undefeated through her first seven starts, capped by her Kentucky Oaks victory. The top five finishers Saturday will receive qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale for the 1 1/16-mile race. Life of Joy (Gun Runner), who is owned by Will Stroud, Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm, and For the People Racing Stable, broke her maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis by 14 3/4 lengths going 1 mile on the dirt. She then won the Rags to Riches Stakes Oct. 26, finishing 2 1/4 lengths in front of the Kenny McPeek-trained The Grumpy Rabbit. Prior to her effort in the Rags to Riches, The Grumpy Rabbit, a daughter of second-leading sire Not This Time, finished third in the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland behind Percy's Bar and Tommy Jo. She will break from the outside post in the 12-horse field. Morning-line favorite and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner up Explora was not put on the flight from California with her stablemates and has been scratched from the Golden Rod, according to a note from Churchill Downs. Mike Maker will send out New York invader Letmecounttheways, who is coming off a 6-length win in the Oct. 25 Maid of the Mist Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack for owners Paradise Farms, JP Racing Stable, David Staudacher, and Zilla Racing Stables. The daughter of leading first-crop sire Yaupon's only other race came Sept. 27 when she broke her maiden on debut by 5 1/2 lengths. She has put in a trio of works at Churchill Downs since her win in the Maid of the Mist, and is 9-2 on the morning line. Another filly to pay attention to is Godolphin's Bella Ballerina, who broke her maiden by 4 1/4 lengths in a 6-furlong maiden special weight at Keeneland Oct. 5 in her lone start for trainer Brendan Walsh. She is by Street Sense and out of the grade 1-winning Tapit mare Pretty City Dancer, making her a half sister to Godolphin's 2023 Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), also trained by Walsh.