Nashoba's Gold sitting on ready for Honeymoon

ARCADIA, Calif. – Nashoba’s Gold accomplished enough with her one-length win in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita on April 5 that trainer Carla Gaines debated whether to wait for the $350,000 American Oaks on May 31 with the filly.

As April progressed, Nashoba’s Gold forced Gaines to change her mind. The $200,000 Honeymoon Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf on Sunday became a more immediate goal.

“I thought I might wait,” Gaines recalled on Friday. “I didn’t have any reason to.”

Gaines said that Nashoba’s Gold’s workouts in April – particularly a half-mile on turf in 47.80 seconds on April 19 – convinced her to run the filly this weekend.

“She’s stepped up every work in her training,” Gaines said. “When she breezed on the grass, it was a nice work. She’s a little more focused and a lot more professional. She’s just learning.

“She wants to be a lean filly. I was concerned about her weight, but she’s keeping her weight well.”

Owned by breeder Warren Williamson, Nashoba’s Gold is a half-sister to the multiple stakes winner and millionaire Nashoba’s Key, who raced for Williamson and Gaines in the 2000s.

In the Grade 2 Honeymoon, Nashoba’s Gold drew the rail in 1 1/8-mile turf race. Nashoba’s Gold has won 2 of 3 starts and earned $139,380. Her loss was a second to Diversy Harbor in the China Doll Stakes over a mile on turf on March 8.

Diversy Harbor was second in the Providencia, rallying through traffic in the stretch as the even-money favorite.

The Providencia was a jockey’s race through the last half-mile. Joe Talamo, riding Nashoba’s Gold, rallied wide, leaving Gary Stevens on Diversy Harbor with limited options. Stevens chose an inside path and he and Diversy Harbor closed well.

“Hats off to Joe,” Gaines said.

“It was kind of a weird race,” said Aimee Dollase, assistant to Diversy Harbor’s trainer, Tom Proctor. “She made an early move on the backstretch and got behind on the turn.

“We just need a good trip. She’ll be fine.”

Talamo and Stevens will know where each other is throughout the Honeymoon.

Diversy Harbor should have every chance to win. By Curlin, Diversy Harbot has won 2 of 3 starts and earned $110,940, all for Glen Hill Farm.

The field includes One More and Margot Machance, who were third and fourth in the Providencia; Honey Ride and Arethusa who were fourth and fifth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on dirt on April 5; and Sweet Bliss, who was supplemented for $4,000 when entries were taken on Thursday.

The Honeymoon will be Arethusa’s first start on turf. She won the Sharp Cat Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park last November, but is winless in her last three starts. Arethusa was third in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes earlier this year.