Good Cheer earned her second straight Stakes win as she cruised to a two-and-a-half length victory in the G2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday, 30 November.
The two-year-old Medaglia d’Oro filly, who remains perfect in four career starts, entered the race off a win in the Listed Rags to Riches Stakes. The Golden Rod victory earned Good Cheer 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
Patiently ridden by jockey Luis Saez, Good Cheer was settled off the pace in fifth after brushing with a rival coming out of the starting gate. Racing between rivals down the backstretch, Good Cheer was given her cue and was tipped wide on the far turn, as she set her sights on the leader, Eclatant.
Good Cheer and Eclatant briefly battled for the lead at the top of the stretch before Good Cheer hit another gear and began pulling away, eventually crossing the wire to win by two-and-a-half lengths. Quietside overcame a troubled trip to take second, with Eclatant holding steady for third.
Bred in Kentucky and racing as a homebred for Godolphin, Good Cheer is out of the multiple G1-winning Street Sense mare, Wedding Toast. During her racing career for Godolphin, Wedding Toast captured both the G1 Ogden Phipps Stakes and G1 Beldame, in addition to winning the G2 Ruffian and G3 Comely. In addition to Good Cheer, Wedding Toast is also the dam of the Stakes-winning colt, Ya Hayati (by Dubawi).
Good Cheer became the second Graded Stakes winner of the holiday weekend for her sire, Medaglia d’Oro, joining Loved, who captured the G3 Falls City Stakes on Thanksgiving Day at Churchill Downs. The stallion is also the sire of Graded Stakes winners East Avenue (G1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity) and Grand Sonata (G2 Kentucky Turf Cup).
Medaglia d’Oro will stand the 2025 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for $75,000, stands and nurses.
