Monmouth: Coarsegold gets some help for rematch in Desert Vixen

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Street Gem and Coarsegold, the 1-2 finishers in the Revidere Stakes last month, square off again on Saturday at Monmouth Park.

The rematch comes in the $60,000 Desert Vixen Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

While the distance is the same as the Revidere, the scales even up this time. Street Gem, trained by Kathleen O’Connell, carried six pounds less than Coarsegold in her pacesetting Revidere win. They will each tote 123 for the Desert Vixen.

That is one factor the Coarsegold camp hopes will turn the tables in their favor. More pace in the race, and a cleaner trip wouldn’t hurt, either.

Following a slow opening half-mile in 50.12 seconds in the Revidere, Street Gem shook free turning for home and prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths.

Coarsegold, meanwhile, bobbled at the quarter pole before launching her rally that fell 1 1/4 lengths short.

“The bobble didn’t keep her from winning,” said Rob Rader, the assistant in charge of Mark Hennig’s Monmouth division. “The filly that won is a nice horse and she had her own way. We weren’t very far behind, but when you let someone go in 50 on this turf course, you might be in trouble down the lane.”

Rader was pleased with his filly’s effort, all factors considered.

“She was trying to get to the winner,” he said. “She had to wait, and the other horse got the jump on her.”

Coarsegold has the outside post in a field of nine, with Paco Lopez picking up the mount. Street Gem and jockey Daniel Coa break from post 6.

The pace dynamics could be much different in the rematch.

“There’s a lot of speed in this race,” Rader said. “I don’t think they’re going to go 50 on Saturday. Hopefully, it will help us.”

Hold Our Destiny figures to be a prominent pace factor. She dictated the fractions and held on for a game third in the Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park earlier this month. Hold Our Destiny has not been worse than third in four starts this season for Maryland-based trainer Dane Kobiskie. Regular rider Garry Cruise will be aboard.

Doubled could show speed from the rail after trainer Cal Lynch stretched her out for the first time on the grass at Parx Racing and she rated on the lead before settling for second.

Lynch also sends out Big Sky Country, a sprinter to this point making her grass debut.