Go Google Yourself gets first graded win in Locust Grove Stakes

Go Google Yourself and Divine Queen finished first and second, respectively, in the one-mile Groupie Doll Stakes last month at Ellis Park. The fillies may have crossed paths on their way to and from the winner's circle on Saturday's card at Churchill Downs.

Go Google Yourself stretched out slightly to win the Grade 3, $200,000 Locust Grove Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. One race earlier, Divine Queen successfully cut back to six furlongs to win the $125,000 Open Mind Stakes.

Go Google Yourself ($9.80), an Into Mischief filly who races as a homebred for the Jay Em Ess Stable of Samantha Siegel, has now won three times from five outings this season for trainer Paul McGee. The filly began this season with an optional-claiming victory at Oaklawn Park over dual Canadian classic winner Wonder Gadot, the runner-up in last year's Kentucky Oaks. She then turned in creditable efforts in a pair of graded stakes races in Kentucky, beaten three-quarters of a length by Electric Forest when second in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland, and finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap won by Elate in June at Churchill Downs, a race in which the top three finishers were all Grade 1 winners. She got back in the win column about two months later with her three-length victory in the Groupie Doll on Aug. 11 at Ellis.

"We were glad to get the graded stakes win for her," McGee said. "She's a homebred for Samantha Siegel. She raced the [dam], so that was great.

"She's gotten really good this year," McGee continued. "Going into today, she had won at five different tracks. She's won from off the pace, she's won from the lead, just a very versatile filly, very classy, and very fast."

Go Google Yourself, under Brian Hernandez Jr., raced in clear and in third on the outside in the early stages as longshot Skeptic, with Escape Clause on her flank, took the field through moderate opening fractions of 24.44 seconds for the quarter and 49.17 for the half. Go Google Yourself began inching up around the far turn, putting herself in second through three-quarters in 1:13.42 as the pack began to bunch up, with the entire field of nine horses covering about five lengths.

"She left there, put herself in a good spot, and moved like a winner the whole way," Hernandez said.

Go Google Yourself kicked past the leaders once straightened away into the stretch and opened up 2 1/2 lengths on the field. With Hernandez stating that the filly was distracted by the grandstand, she held sway by a neck over Moonlit Garden in the final stages, finishing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.13.

After Moonlit Garden, who had been third in the Groupie Doll, it was another length back to favored Mylady Curlin, who had raced covered up early, then rallied when clear. The loss snapped a five-race win streak for Grade 3 winner Mylady Curlin. Fellow graded stakes winner Escape Clause wound up another 4 1/2 lengths back in fourth.

Divine Queen rides rail to win in Open Mind

Divine Queen kicked on gamely in the lane for a 2 3/4-length victory in the Open Mind, giving trainer William "Buff" Bradley a stakes victory just days after undergoing minor heart surgery.

Bradley, who bred and owns Divine Queen with long-time associate Carl Hurst, underwent what he termed a "small procedure" Tuesday in Louisville. The trainer, 55, was in attendance at Churchill on Saturday to watch friend Calvin Borel guide Divine Queen to victory under one of his customary rail-skimming rides.

Divine Queen ($7.60) broke from the inside in the field of six and prevailed in the scramble through the first quarter, leading at that point through the opening split of 22.37 seconds. Ascot Day, who had stalked that pace three wide around the turn, loomed up looking strong and poked her head in front at the quarter pole, beginning to edge clear of Divine Queen. But the latter responded when Borel set her down, re-breaking and kicking on for the win. She finished the six furlongs in 1:09.40.

Ascot Day held second by a length over Upset Brewing.

This was the second career stakes victory for Divine Queen, who won the Dogwood Stakes last September at Churchill – by a head over a familiar foe, Go Google Yourself.