Weekend GamePlan: Picks for Mother Goose, River City, Dream Supreme

There’s no pause button on the racing calendar. The 2025 season purportedly crescendoed into the Breeders’ Cup, but here we are, back at it again a week later. No races to decide champions on this Saturday, but the win money pays the same.

Mother Goose

As George W. Bush once intoned, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again.” While the 43rd president of the United States of America could not quite get to “fool me twice,” the filly Ourdaydreaminggirl stands poised to fool the betting public a third time in the Mother Goose.

Ourdaydreaminggirl required four starts at Parx Racing to win a maiden race in December, progressed mildly into a second behind her stablemate Volleyballprincess in the Ruthless at Aqueduct, and ended that form cycle with her best try yet, a close, closing fourth in the Wide Country at Laurel.

I don’t pretend to know what happened between the Wide Country in February and a Parx allowance comeback in July, but something did. Favored at 3-2, Ourdaydreaminggirl clearly hit a career peak, sticking closer to the pace than she had in her first go-round, moving sharply along the rail, and winning by a widening 7 1/4 lengths.

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That came at seven furlongs, and as an 18-1 shot in her first route, the Cathryn Sophia, Ourdaydreaminggirl took another step forward. She fell much too far behind the pace but commenced a rally before the three-furlong marker that she sustained to the wire, closing steadily for second on victorious Dry Powder, who got first run by a mile and validated that form when she returned to finish second by a neck in the Grade 1 Cotillion.

Who else did some Cotillion validating? Ourdaydreaminggirl is who. At nearly 43-1, Ourdaydreaminggirl cornered wide into the homestretch still some eight lengths behind the leaders, then came relentlessly down the far outside and missed by a neck when third to victorious Clicquot, who returned with a creditable fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

An extra half-furlong in the Mother Goose should prove Ourdaydreaminggirl’s friend. She should have plenty of pace at which to run. The morning line has her at 8-1. Don’t get fooled again.

River City

By now it’s almost a cliché: The offspring of English Channel will hit a peak over longer distances on turf and as they grow older. Like, really older. Give me a 7-year-old English Channel over a 4-year-old every day of the week.

Well, English Chunnel doesn’t turn 5 until Jan. 1, but he still fits the profile. Starts eight and nine of his career have led English Chunnel to a peak, and stretching out from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/8 miles in the River City, English Chunnel just might peak again. At 30-1 on the morning line, it’s worth a bet guessing he does.

This gelding has shown signs since last season at Fair Grounds, where I thought his maiden win rated well above par for the class level. He followed up with an even better first-level allowance score at Keeneland before going off the rails May 10 at Churchill. Since a four-month break followed that dud, I’m just crossing it out, which leaves us with those two wins, a good comeback third over the Churchill course in September, and then English Chunnel’s best yet, a second-level allowance tally last month at Keeneland.

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Two things about that outing. While English Chunnel isn’t the best at changing leads, he usually does, but did not in his last race while still drawing clear. And even while winning over 8 1/2 furlongs, the gelding looks built for nine furlongs and farther. He is far, far from a pretty mover on dirt, yet workout video since his last start encourages. Fall grass racing at Churchill can throw up funky results, and all the short prices here have some sort of hole.

Dream Supreme

I doubt Mink’s Palace will go as high as her 8-1 morning line, but the fact she even wound up that price suggests she’ll offer value.

Positano Sunset won the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland in April. Mink’s Palace in her most recent start had Positano Sunset beat until the latter came back on her very late in a 6 1/2-furlong contest. This six-furlong trip is Mink’s Palace’s best, and no Dream Supreme rival rates as high as Positano Sunset. The race shapes her way, and Mink’s Palace shapes as a fair-priced play.

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