Goliad on a roll, targets Kilroe Mile

He’s 7 and finally getting the hang of racing.

In two starts this year, Goliad has won consecutive races for the first time in his limited career, including Saturday’s Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in a dramatic style.

The win has led to plans for his first career Grade 1 start in the $300,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 2, a goal that would have seemed improbable as recently as a few months ago when Goliad was mired in a five-race losing streak.

A new rider in Kazushi Kimura has contributed to a perfect start to the year for Goliad. Kimura rode Goliad for the first time in an allowance race at a mile on turf Jan. 7, leading throughout to prevail by a half-length.

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The tactics were the same in the Thunder Road, only bolder. Goliad took off at the start and led by as many as 12 lengths on the backstretch. Often when such a racing style is employed, horses tend to lose their hefty advantages and sometimes fade from contention.

Goliad maintained his lead and won by three lengths in 1:33.57. The time was the fastest of the Santa Anita winter meeting at the distance. Goliad earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 96 and a date in the Kilroe.

“He seems to be getting more confidence in himself,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “We’re not trying to override him. We try not to interfere.

“He likes doing what he does.”

Goliad, who races for Ramona and Perry Bass, has won 4 of 16 starts. He has been raced sparingly through his career, with only two starts in 2021, four in 2022, and three last year.

Kimura’s wins aboard Goliad are two of the three times he has ridden for Mandella in his career.

Kimura, the leading rider at Woodbine near Toronto the last three years, rode at Santa Anita for the first time last winter, gaining 12 wins. Goliad was Kimura’s sixth winner of the current season.

“I was impressed with him when he was here last year,” Mandella said of the 24-year-old Kimura.

While Goliad had an ideal outing Saturday, the Mandella-trained Planetario never left the barn Sunday after the card was canceled last Friday because of a rainy forecast.

Planetario was entered in the Grade 3 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf, a race that has been rescheduled for Saturday. The delay has led to uncertainty about Planetario’s plans for the rest of the month.

Mandella hoped to use the San Marcos Stakes last weekend as a prep for the $2.5 million Red Sea Handicap at 1 7/8 miles on turf on Feb. 24 in Saudi Arabia.

“I’ll enter him in this race next Saturday and just continue to think,” Mandella said. “We’ll have to take it day by day.”

The Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile also was postponed from Sunday to Saturday.

Mandella said he will make a decision later this week whether Kopion will start in the $100,000 Las Virgenes. Unbeaten in two starts, Kopion won the Grade 3 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs on Jan. 7 in her stakes debut.

Santa Anita was the recipient of slightly less than six inches of rain in a 24-hour period ending at dawn Monday, according to track general manager Nate Newby.

The wet conditions led many trainers to work horses Saturday, notably 2023 Breeders’ Cup winner White Abarrio who went five furlongs in 59.60 seconds for a scheduled start in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 24.

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