City Plan stuns in Gold Rush Stakes

It’s not often that the navy blue silks of powerful Godolphin Stable are seen at Golden Gate Fields, but they were first past the wire in the $76,125 Gold Rush Stakes on Saturday as City Plan rallied for a $51.20 upset.

Breaking from post 10 in the one-mile stakes for 2-year-olds, City Plan and odds-on favorite Ayacara raced beside each other well off the pace set by Night At the Opera as the field went into the backstretch.

City Plan began to move up on the second turn, getting the jump on his rival, who had beaten him by 13 lengths when they last met in the Grade 1 Front Runner on Sept. 30 at Del Mar.

City Plan was five wide but making up ground rapidly, closing in on Afleet Ascent who had worn down Night At the Opera. He had Afleet Ascent measured, but Ayacara was flying in the stretch behind him, gobbling up ground with each stride as he, too, got a wide but clean trip.

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However jockey Tyler Conner’s early move paid off as City Plan continued strongly to the wire, holding off Ayacara by three-quarters of a length with a winning time of 1:39.01. Respect the Hustle, the lone stakes winner in the field, was third, 1 1/2 lengths farther back.

"I got hung wide most of the way, but he was full of run so it didn't matter," said Conner, who had worked the colt but never ridden him in a race.

Conner said that City Plan was erratic in the stretch despite finishing strong and could have a bright future.

"Down the lane, he was all over the place," Conner said. "He was lugging the whole way. If he figures things out, he will get even better. Galloping out, he was rolling. I think he can definitely go further."

Ayacara had run fourth, beaten 13 3/4 lengths at 28-1 in the Front Runner, while City Plan had run seventh at 111-1.

The Gold Rush victory was worth $45,000 for the homebred son of Street Sense, who is trained by Eoin Harty. He has now earned $72,690 with 2 wins in 4 starts.