Goldy Espony heads one-two finish for Brown in Long Island
Trainer Chad Brown saddled the one-two finishers in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct, as Goldy Espony grabbed the early lead and held off stablemate Danza Cavallo in the final graded turf stakes of the year for fillies and mares in New York.
Just as she had in winning Saratoga’s Waya Stakes, Goldy Espony ($9.40) broke from the rail and saved ground around all three turns while establishing a comfortable pace under Kendrick Carmouche. Her early fractional splits of 25.28 seconds, 51.38, and 1:17.09 left her with plenty in reserve, and she sprinted home the final quarter in 23.77 seconds to remain safely clear. Danza Cavallo came off the inside to take aim in the stretch, but couldn’t catch the leader and just held for the runner-up spot over Gotachancetodance. Brown’s third entrant, Rosalind, steadied early and finished next-to-last in the field of 11.
“I felt very confident this time that they would probably let me go a little easier than the last Saratoga race,” said Carmouche, referring to the Glens Falls. “That being said, I’m just very appreciative of the opportunity from Chad Brown and the owners. It’s been a very successful ride so far in New York.”
Goldy Espony carried top weight of 120 pounds and ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:31.10 over a firm turf course, remaining unbeaten from three starts at the distance.
Goldy Espony and Danza Cavallo, a pair of 4-year-old French-breds, linked for a $43.40 exacta.
“[Goldy Espony] had some foot issues we were dealing with, and thankfully we got them all fixed up and behind her, and Ian McKinlay worked on her feet for us and did a great job,” said Brown, who notched his 25th graded turf stakes win of 2015. “Kendrick gets along really well with this filly. He’s able to set a slow pace and wire them again.
“Rosalind just didn’t fire today. I’ll have to reevaluate her future,” Brown added. “And Danza Cavallo ran well. A mile and a half might be a touch far for her. She had dead aim heading for home and Goldy just had more.”