(Travel Column / Pictures by Holly M. Smith)
From the Churchill Downs Media Staff:
Travel Column overcame a sluggish break and staying squeezed at the start to run down Clairiere in the final yards and gain Saturday’s 77th running of the $200,000 Golden Rod (Quality II) at Churchill Downs by just one size. Stablemate Coach was a further 2 ½ lengths back in third and 3-5 favorite Basically Ravishing was yet another 50 percent-length back again in fourth.
Travel Column, who ran 1 1/16 miles about a rapidly monitor in 1:43.98 as the 9-2 second betting selection in the field of nine, collected the $119,040 initially prize and 10 details as section of the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series, which gives points on a scale of 10-4-2-1 to the Top rated 4 finishers as a “Prep Season” race.
The remaining time was only the seventh sub-1:44 clocking in the race’s history, which has been contested at the distance because 1980. Also, it was :00.54 speedier than Keepmeinmind’swin in the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII).
Florent Geroux rode the winner for trainer Brad Cox and owner Larry Greatest’s OXO Equine LLC.
Farsighted broke speediest of all and rattled off early quarter-mile splits of :23.77 and :48.21 with Journey Column last down the backstretch just after she was crowed among horses at the begin from publish place 4. As Basically Ravishing took the direct about the change, Vacation Column weaved her way into contention only to be bottled up down on the inside powering the primary pack, which integrated Just Ravishing, a fading Farsighted on the rail, a a few-vast Coach and a four-wide Clairiere.
Within the final three-sixteenths of a mile, Geroux shifted Travel Column to the much outdoors close to the threesome. Clairiere had set absent the eventual third and fourth position finishers with a furlong to go but a identified Journey Column was finally in the apparent and displayed a impressive late kick to get up for the seemingly improbable earn.
“We broke a action sluggish and I attempted to get her to loosen up as a lot as I could although saving as significantly floor as attainable,” Geroux said. “I obtained sort of a pocket vacation all over the significantly transform and when Simply just Ravishing was flattening out, I just made the decision to go all over everybody. She had a ton of electrical power still left and was equipped to get up to acquire.”
Prior to the Golden Rod, Journey Column skipped the crack in the Quality I Alcibiades at Keeneland on Oct. 2 and finished third powering Only Ravishing and Mad Attractive.
“(Journey Column) overcame a large amount of adversity now,” Cox explained. “This was the recreation approach all along to operate in this race and give her the time she desires after the Alcibiades. She was incredibly amazing breaking that slow and staying stopped many occasions. Mentally that confirmed her maturity but I even now think she is understanding. I believed Mentor ran a actually very good race to get third as nicely.”
Driving fourth-place finisher Just Ravishing, who entered the Golden Rod soon after a fourth-put complete in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) 22 times back, it was Princess Theorem, Alexandria, Girl Lilly, Woman Traveler and Farsighted. No Mo’ Spendingwas scratched.
“No actual excuses,” claimed Simply just Ravishing’s jockey Robby Albarado.
Journey Column improved her file to 3-2–0—$209,184 and paid $11.80, $6.20 and $4. Clairiere, ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., paid $5.60 and $3.40. Mentor, under Joe Talamo, returned $5.40 to present.
“She ran a really fantastic race and was second greatest,” Santana Jr. reported of Clairiere.
Journey Column, a daughter of Frosted out of the Victory Gallop mare Swingit, was bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Bayne Welker Jr. and Denali Stud.
GOLDEN ROD Offers
Florent Geroux, jockey of Vacation COLUMN (winner): “We broke a stage sluggish and I tried to get her to rest as considerably as I could when preserving as a lot floor as possible. I bought type of a pocket trip around the much transform and when Simply Ravishing was flattening out, I just made the decision to go close to everybody. She experienced a ton of strength remaining and was in a position to get up to win.”
Brad Cox, coach of Travel COLUMN (winner) and Coach (third): “(Journey Column) overcame a large amount of adversity currently. This was the recreation prepare all along to operate in this race and give her the time she desires immediately after the Alcibiades (GI). She was very impressive breaking that gradual and staying stopped several times. Mentally that showed her maturity but I even now think she is understanding. I thought Mentor ran a genuinely great race to get third as very well.”
Ricardo Santana Jr., jockey of CLAIRIERE (runner-up): “She ran a definitely very good race and was second finest.”
Robby Albarado, jockey of Merely RAVISHING (fourth): “No genuine excuses.”