A number of intriguing stakes are taking place across the U.S. and Canada during the first weekend in November. There aren't any Grade 1 races on the agenda (unsurprising for the week after the Breeders' Cup), but a couple of proven Grade 1 winner are entered to race in Saturday's $300,000 Mother Goose (G2) at Belmont Park.
The Mother Goose is a 1 1/16-mile dirt race for three-year-old fillies. We rank #7 Bodacious Bay (5-2) as the filly to beat.
Bodacious Bay has shown steady improvement since her April 2026 debut. She finished second in her first two starts, then took a nice step forward in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, pressing the pace before drawing off to dominate by four lengths.
Thereafter, Bodacious Bay jumped into stakes company. First, she tackled the 1 1/16-mile Monmouth Oaks (G3) at Monmouth Park. After racing in second place behind modest fractions of :24.60, :48.88, and 1:12.22, she stayed on to finish second by 1 1/2 lengths against gate-to-wire winner My Miss Mo, who had previously prevailed in the Black-Eyed Susan (G2).
Then Bodacious Bay took another big step up the class ladder for the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion (G1) at Parx Racing. This time, pace-tracking tactics proved successful, as Bodacious Bay rated in second place behind My Miss Mo before taking over and kicking away to triumph by 3 1/4 lengths.
Bodacious Bay beat a deep field in the Cotillion. In addition to My Miss Mo, she conquered Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Always a Runner, Alabama (G1) runner-up and next-out Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) third-place finisher Measure, and Demoiselle (G2) winner and Ashland (G1) runner-up Zany.
In addition, Bodacious Bay defeated a couple of the fillies she'll face in the Mother Goose. Cathryn Sophia S. winner #3 Tap to Open (5-1) finished a distant fourth in the Cotillion, while #5 Iron Orchard (12-1) finished eighth.
Iron Orchard is an accomplished filly capable of running strongly on her best day. As a two-year-old, she won the Frizette (G1). But she's been inconsistent in 2026, finishing out of the trifecta in her three of her four starts. Her only strong showing came in the 1 1/8-mile Fleet Indian S. against New York-breds at Saratoga, a race Iron Orchard trounced by 12 lengths. But her subsequent defeat in the Cotillion tilts the scale in favor of Bodacious Bay for their Mother Goose rematch.
Indeed, Bodacious Bay appears well-spotted to snag another graded stakes win. Her tactical speed is an asset, she's beaten tough competition, and she's on the rise. Hence, she's my top choice.
For second place, I'll aim to beat Iron Orchard with #1 Cognition (9-2), an up-and-coming maiden winner from the barn of five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.
Cognition debuted on Aug. 16 in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga. She got away to a subpar start, but passed a few rivals to finish a distant third.
On Oct. 2, Cognition made her second start in a maiden special weight sprinting about seven furlongs at Keeneland. Suffice to say, she improved dramatically. The daughter of Practical Joke sprinted to the lead, set solid fractions of :22.45, :45.40, and 1:10.25, and widened her lead throughout to win by four lengths. The form was flattered when runner-up Rules and Regs returned to win her next start against similar competition at Churchill Downs.
Stretching out over 1 1/16 miles around one turn shouldn't be an issue for Cognition, and she's retaining the services of two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat. A strong showing appears likely, and she looms as the main danger to Bodacious Bay.
For third place, I'll side with #10 Intrepids Fantasy (8-1), who has won all three of her starts at Delaware Park by margins ranging from 2 1/2 lengths to 12 3/4 lengths. She enters off a gate-to-wire win in a one-mile $50,000 allowance optional claimer, and she may have the talent to factor for a trifecta finish at enticing odds. Plus, jockey Jorge Ruiz has done well riding a limited number of mounts at Belmont Park this meet, compiling a 9-3-1-2 (33%) record.
Selections
1st: Bodacious Bay
2nd: Cognition
3rd: Intrepids Fantasy
4th: Iron Ochard
Now it's your turn! Who do you like in the Mother Goose?
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