Maracuja targets Mother Goose

ELMONT, N.Y. – Maracuja, seventh in the Kentucky Oaks, is pointing to the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes on June 26, trainer Rob Atras said Thursday.

Maracuja came off a maiden win to run second to Search Results in the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 3 to earn a spot in the Kentucky Oaks.

In the Oaks, Maracuja got off a little slow, was well off the pace, and wound up splitting the field.

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“I don’t think it was an embarrassment by any means,” Atras said. “She didn’t break real sharp, which didn’t help. I thought the track was more speed favoring than anything. We got shuffled back too far. She did make up a lot of ground and came running at the end.”

Maracuja had two easy works before drilling a sharp half-mile in 48.46 seconds last Saturday.

The Mother Goose is expected to be the stakes debut of Always Carina, who is 2 for 2 including a first-level allowance win by 9 3/4 lengths on May 20.

Zaajel, who won the Grade 2 Forward Gal in January, also is pointing to the Mother Goose. On Thursday at Saratoga, Zaajel worked five furlongs in 1:01.60.