Coglianese /NYRA Photo

Indulgent unrelenting in G3 Go For Wand

by Najja Thompson

Making her fifth start at Aqueduct Racetrack, Godolphin Racing's Indulgent continued to show her affinity for the Big A, picking up her third win on the surface and first graded stakes victory while capturing the 78th running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Go For Wand for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on Saturday. 

Breaking alertly from post 7 with Luis Saez aboard at odds of 12-1, Indulgent remained comfortably in second in the three-path as Lucy N Ethel lead the field of seven through fractions of 23.52 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and the half in 46.82. 

At the quarter-pole, Indulgent made her winning move to the front. Surpassing Lucy N Ethel at the eighth-pole, she held of a very game Highway Star to secure the victory by a length. 

She completed the one-mile distance in 1:37.75.

"Last time she ran so hard, [but] the only issue was the rail," said Saez was aboard Indulgent in the Pumpkin Pie  at Aqueduct on November 5th in which she ran second. "Last time, the rail was heavy and she broke from the inside and we couldn't get out and that hurt a little bit. Today, she got an outside post and she broke pretty well. We came to the straight, I asked her and she took off."

Returning $27.40 for a $2 win wager, the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Bernardini filly is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Frosted. The Go For Wand victory boosted her career earnings to $342,117.

"It's very special," said Jimmy Bell, president of Godolphin USA. "As I'm sure everybody figured out quickly, she has a more famous older brother and to have that filly and the family continue on with her being a graded stakes winner makes a big difference. "I talked to Luis [Saez], and he said she broke very kindly and was right there with him. She settled nicely and responded. It was one of those picture-perfect trips. She stayed out in a good position in a good part of the track and came home fastest of all.

"To put a graded victory under her name is very, very important," added Bell. It's great for Sheik Mohammad's breeding to carry on this great family that's been so good to us with Frosted, obviously, Midshipman and some others. This should make her a very welcome addition to the breeding operation. "I think we'll just take this a step at a time. I don't know if this is her last race, but this is her most important race."

Behind Highway Star in second was a late-closing Verve's Tale followed by Going for Broke, Lucy N Ethel, Flora Dora and Jamyson 'n Ginger.