Goodall too good in $175K Jersey Girl
Spendthrift Farm’s Goodall stalked and pounced to a 2 3/4-length score over pacesetting Carmel Coast in Thursday’s $175,000 Jersey Girl, a six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies on Day Two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and piloted by Flavien Prat, Goodall posted a redemptive victory following an off-the-board effort last out in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Eight Belles on Kentucky Oaks Day May 1, at Churchill Downs. Goodall is by the Asmussen-trained Yaupon, who won 6-of-8 career starts, including a trio of wins at the Spa topped by a score in the 2021 Grade 1 Forego.
“Honestly, I would just draw a line through her race at Churchill Downs. I thought it was just too poor to be true,” Prat said. “She broke well today and obviously if someone was faster than me, I was okay to sit, so that’s what we did. She was acting super today, and she showed herself.”
Goodall broke alertly from post 3 but Carmel Coast, away awkwardly from the inside post under Tyler Gaffalione, surged to the front to show the way through an opening quarter-mile in 21.92 seconds over the fast main track.
Carmel Coast led through the turn with Goodall advancing with an outside move and Mythical, a seven-time winner who captured the Grade 3 Adirondack here last summer, following suit under Edgard Zayas after a half-mile in 44.16.
Carmel Coast tried to kick away at the top of the lane but Goodall, despite Prat losing his whip turning for home, continued to find more and powered away under a vigorous hand ride to win in a final time of 1:08.78. Carmel Coast held place honors by a head over Mythical with Paige Turner, Irish Jig and Oscar Bound rounding out the order of finish.
Goodall graduated at second asking traveling six furlongs in February at Fair Grounds Race Course and followed with a prominent 4 1/2-length score in the six-furlong Purple Martin ahead of her Eight Belles try.
Ned Toffey, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Spendthrift Farm, said he was pleased to see the $525,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training buy return to form.
“We felt like she was a really talented filly right along,” Toffey said. “Her first couple starts were OK. She really stepped up in a stake two starts back, and we were all scratching our heads on Derby weekend. She sort of threw in a clunker. We were hoping that she was ready to bounce back, and all indications were that she was, and she sure did it.
"It probably helped a little bit,” Toffey said of the cutback in distance. “But I think it is more just her figuring things out."
The Whit Beckman-trained Carmel Coast graduated impressively on debut here last summer ahead of a pacesetting sixth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Frizette in October at Belmont at the Big A. She arrived from a two-length score in her seasonal debut over Paige Turner in a 6 1/2-furlong optional-claimer on May 1 at Churchill Downs.
Gaffalione said it was a gutsy effort from Carmel Coast.
“She didn’t get out of there the cleanest but the track’s been so speed-favoring, I didn’t want to take anything away from her,” Gaffalione said. “She put in quick fractions but held firm. I was really proud of her effort today. She kind of missed a step a little bit and I kind of gave her a smooch and she responded well. She was traveling really good, just got late on me a little bit.”
Toffey said he would discuss all potential targets with Asmussen, including the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3, $225,000 Victory Ride on July 10 here.
“It could be a possibility, but we'll, for the most part, defer to Steve on that,” Toffey said. “He does a pretty good job picking the spots, but we'll talk to him and see what he recommends, then go from there."
Goodall is out of the Malibu Moon mare Moon Over Mag Bay, a half-sister to the well-regarded Hall of Famer Bob Baffert trainee Cherokee Nation.
Bred in Kentucky by Mark Allen Toothaker, William Heiligbrodt and Corrine Heiligbrodt, Goodall banked $96,250 in victory while improving her record to 5-3-1-0. She returned $10.26 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Friday at Saratoga with a stacked 14-race card featuring the Grade 1, $500,000 DraftKings Acorn in Race 10; the Grade 1, $750,000 New York in Race 11, the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford in Race 12; the Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o’ Roses presented by Boldyn Networks in Race 4; and the Grade 2, $300,000 Wonder Again presented by Shift4 in Race 9. First post is 11:45 a.m. Eastern, with gates opening to the public at 10 a.m.
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