Toast to the KENTUCKY OAKS (G1) winner GOOD CHEER (Medaglia d’Oro), who remained undefeated with her powerful, wide rally in the slop to win the $1.5 million filly classic by 2 1/4 lengths,
(Canadian Thoroughbred gave you a four-horse box that would have cashed the exactor with longshot Drexel Hill in the Oaks – here.)
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Luis Saez, Good Cheer completed the mile and an eighth over a sloppy track in 1:50.15. It is the third Oaks victory for Cox, the second for Saez, and the second for a Godolphin homebred.
A strong rainstorm hit Churchill Downs two races before the Oaks, leading to a delay in the race card. Once the skies cleared, the track was left a sea of mud, which would have been a new footing for many Oaks fillies.
La Cara, trained by Mark Casse, shot to the front and set the pace unopposed through fractions of :22.58, :46.78 and 1:11.36 with Tenma and Anna’s Promise in closest pursuit and Good Cheer racing in the clear in mid-pack.
On the far turn, Quietside made a move at the top three with Good Cheer moving right behind her and then swinging five wide into the stretch where she took over at the three-sixteenths pole and drew off.
DREXEL HILL, by Bolt d’Oro, a son of Medaglia d’Oro, came from last to be second and this gal began her career at Woodbine in 2024 for Legion Racing. Trained here by Barbara Minshall, Drexel Hill won a maiden allowance race in her fourth race at seven furlongs on Tapeta. She also won the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct.
“We thought the further the better,” said Cox. “Last fall we had Immersive and we thought she was our Kentucky Oaks filly and we thought (Good Cheer) could be our Alabama filly. Every race she continued to pick up. She loves Churchill, she can run on anything. I’m not certain what her ceiling is. Obviously, all the Grade Is will be in play this summer and hopefully get her to the Breeders’ Cup.”
Good Cheer, who has posted four of her seven victories at Churchill Downs including a 17-length allowance score in the slop last September, earned $855,600 and increased her earnings to $1,733,230.
Favoured in the field of 13, Good Cheer rewarded her backers with mutuels of $4.78, $3.62 and $3.02. Drexel Hill, ridden by Ben Curtis, returned $21.02 and $11.76 and finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of Bless the Broken, who paid $7.48 to show under John Velazquez.
It was another 3 ¼ lengths back to Tenma with Anna’s Promise, Quietside, Quickick, Early On, La Cara, Ballerina d’Oro, Fondly, Take Charge Milady and Simply Joking following in order.
Good Cheer is a dark bay with a white blaze and a bit of a wall eye on her right side. She is the third Oaks winner for her sire, who turned 26 this year.
WEDDING TOAST, a foal of 2010, won the Grade 1 Beldame and Ogden Phipps Stakes among other major races and $1.4 million for Sheikh Mohammed. Wedding Toast had three foals before Good Cheer including Dubai stakes winner YA HAYATI.
Second dam GOLDEN SHEBA never raced and produced four other foals to race, three winners. Third dam Mari’s Sheba is the dam of Cigar Mile (G1), Carter Handicap (G1), Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), etc. winner CONGAREE.
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