Golden Rod score would make Famed marquee player

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The dark bay filly named Famed is still a long way from matching what her big brother accomplished, but she’s off to a decent start.

Famed earned Beyer Speed Figures of 81 and 84 in a pair of maiden races and now bids to become an elite player in her division when she faces seven other 2-year-old fillies Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Famed, a Godolphin homebred by Uncle Mo, is a half-sister to Essential Quality, the gray Tapit colt whose victories earlier this year in the Belmont Stakes and Travers are sure to make him a finalist for the 3-year-old championship. Famed and Essential Quality were produced by the 12-year-old mare Delightful Quality.

“She’s obviously got some big shoes to fill,” said Brad Cox, who trains Famed and had trained Essential Quality prior to his retirement earlier this month. “This race will help us see where we stand with her. Hopefully it’ll be on to bigger and better things.”

Famed will have Florent Geroux aboard when she breaks from post 1 in the Golden Rod, a 1 1/16-mile race worth 17 qualifying points (10-4-2-1) toward the Kentucky Oaks in May. She’ll be stretching out from seven furlongs and concedes two-turn experience to most of the opposition, most notably Sandstone and Yuugiri, the respective one-two finishers in the opening-day Rags to Riches at this same distance Oct. 31.

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Sandstone (post 4, Brian Hernandez Jr.) drew off in the final furlong of the Rags to Riches, earning a field-high 88 Beyer. She’s a slight 8-5 favorite over Famed on the Churchill program.

“We’ve always thought a whole lot of her,” said her trainer, Ken McPeek. “Hopefully she keeps heading in the right direction.”

Yuugiri (post 6, Tyler Gaffalione) is adding blinkers after disappointing as the 3-5 favorite in the Rags to Riches and finishing nearly 11 lengths behind Sandstone. Trained by Rudy Brisset, the Shackleford filly was coming off an eye-catching September maiden victory.

One would-be upsetter is Cancel This, who will have star jockey Joel Rosario aboard from post 2 after rallying to win a maiden sprint here three Saturdays ago for Dale Romans.

“That was a nice run,” said Romans. “I know her numbers don’t match up yet with the others, but she’s still learning and improving.”

Rosario continues to be sought after by trainers across the continent and leads all jockeys in most major categories in 2021.

The rest of the Golden Rod field is Secret Oath, Hal’s Dream, Dream Lith, and Code for Success.

Post time is 5:27 p.m. Eastern for the 78th Golden Rod, which directly precedes its open counterpart, the Kentucky Jockey Club, as the 10th of 12 races on a Saturday program exclusively for 2-year-olds.

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The Golden Rod, named for the Kentucky state flower, dates to 1910, with its roster of prior champions including such luminaries as Chris Evert (1973), Silverbulletday (1998), and Rachel Alexandra (2008). Cox and Geroux won it last year with Travel Column.

Fern Creek

Cox also has a top contender in the Saturday finale in Matareya, who cuts back to six furlongs in the $200,000 Fern Creek after trying two turns in the Grade 1 Alcibiades in her last start.

“I’m not sure she wanted all that ground,” said Cox. “Maybe down the road. In the meantime, we know she’s fast and that this spot should suit her.”

Matareya, a sharp two-back maiden winner, will have Rosario up from post 2 as the likely second choice in a field of eight fillies behind Sweet Dani Girl (post 8, Martin Garcia), who was 45-1 in upsetting Famed in their respective debuts prior to validating that effort with a gutsy last-out triumph in the Oct. 29 Myrtlewood at Keeneland.

“She does everything right,” said Carlo Vaccarezza, who bred, owns, and trains Sweet Dani Girl. “We love her.”