LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It says something about the depth of a stable when its unbeaten Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old filly is sidelined and it goes on to have an unbeaten Kentucky Oaks winner anyway.
That was the case with Godolphin and trainer Brad Cox. In January, they reported that Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Immersive was benched with bone bruising, and she was not even an Oaks nominee. But waiting in the wings was Good Cheer, who had won all four of her starts as a 2-year-old, in fact doing enough to be an Eclipse finalist behind her stablemate.
“We had Immersive, and she was obviously a very good champion in her own right,” Cox said. “But we thought she was our Kentucky Oaks filly and thought [Good Cheer] could be our Alabama filly, because we have our Kentucky Oaks filly. But obviously, this filly . . . continued to improve.”
Good Cheer remained unbeaten in her seven career starts – by a combined 44 1/2 lengths – with her win in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 91, matching her career best. The filly emerged in good order from her Oaks win, Cox said Saturday morning.
“She's great,” he said. “Looked great this morning, jogged her up the road, scoped fine last night, so everything’s great. She’s super consistent and continues to be that way.”
Cox said the “logical” Grade 1 races for the 3-year-old filly division would be in play for Good Cheer, such as the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn Stakes on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Saratoga; the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks and Grade 1 Alabama Stakes, also at Saratoga during the summer meet; and the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes in September at Parx Racing, en route to the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.
While run at Saratoga, the Acorn is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns instead of around one turn at Belmont, making it appealing for classic-type fillies.
“I would say right now, with the way she looked, it’s in play,” Cox said. “It would be right at five weeks.”
Meanwhile, Immersive returned to the barn this spring and posted her first three-furlong breeze on the morning of the Oaks.
“She’s moving fantastic,” Cox said. “She looks amazing, she’s covered in dapples. . . . The good ones improve from 2 to 3. I liked the breeze yesterday. She looked great this morning. We’ve got a little ways to go, but it’s positive."
Keeping the star fillies separated could be a nice problem to have for Godolphin and Cox. Immersive did show talent around one turn last year, which could open up different options for her.
“She obviously broke her maiden going three-quarters and won the Spinaway going seven-eighths, so she can compete around one turn," Cox said. “I mean, I’d love to keep them separated. I hope that becomes an issue.”
One barn across from Cox, Whit Beckman, a fellow Louisville native, was smiling discussing his filly Drexel Hill’s late-running runner-up finish to heavily favored Good Cheer in the Oaks, beaten 2 1/2 lengths after she was last on the backstretch and still sixth in the stretch.
“She made one of the most gutsy efforts I ever imagined,” Beckman said. “Super thrilled with what she showed yesterday, and I think she’s got a big future.”
Beckman will have a similar job balancing two fillies this summer and fall. In addition to Drexel Hill, he trains Simply Joking, who finished last of 13 in the Oaks after vehemently objecting to kickback on the wet track. Beckman said races such as the CCA Oaks and Alabama will be in play for Drexel Hill, but he isn’t sure what Simply Joking’s best distance will ultimately be.
“It was tough to gauge if the distance was an issue, because she just got such a terrible trip,” Beckman said. “She took so much mud in the face, she was just not having it. We’ll look at a bunch of options, but I think that a cutback could be in store for her. She’s obviously a very fast and very talented filly.”
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