Goldencents to kickoff his 3-year-old campaign in Sham Stakes
Owned by Rick Pitino’s RAP Racing, WC Racing, and Dave Kenney, Goldencents, the newly turned 3-year-old is pointed to the Triple Crown, and the Doug O’Neill trained colt will start the road to Churchill Downs from Santa Anita Park, where the Triple Crown
season begins on 5 January, 2013.
Goldencents will start his 3-year-old campaign with a run in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes to be run over a distance of 1 mile over Santa Anita Park’s dirt course.
The Sham Stakes has reeled in 6, 3-year-old colts and ridglings, as Goldencents heads the field after an impressive juvenile season. Bred in Kentucky by Rosecrest Farm & Karyn Pirrello, the son of Into Mischief defeated maidens at first asking at Del Mar
on 2 September, 2012, over the synthetic surface.
He got the 5 ½ furlong distance in 1 minute and 2.79 seconds, defeating Wild Dude in second and Storm Power in third.
Next stop was Belmont Park, where he participated in the prestigious Grade 1 Champagne Stakes on 6 October, 2012. He finished as a runner-up to the Todd Plecther trained 2-year-old ace, Shanghai Bobby, who covered the 1 mile distance in 1 minute and 35.55
seconds, as Fortify finished third.
The most significant win of his three-race career was the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot. Going over a distance of 1 1/16 miles for the first time, Goldencents defeated Bern Identity in second and Mylute in third, as he got the distance in 1 minute
and 44.89 seconds on 17 November, 2012.
Doug O’Neill saddled I’ll Have Another to victory in Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and the Preaknes Stakes last year, and this year he has a solid candidate in the form of Goldencents.
“He worked (six furlongs) in 1:10 and (one-fifth) last Thursday (Dec. 27) and if you didn’t have a stop watch, you’d have thought he went in 1:14 or 1:15, just cruising,” said O’Neill. “I did have a stop watch on him, and as I looked down and saw one-ten
and change, it was just, ‘wow!’ It was really amazing.
“He came out of it in great shape, full of energy, and it’s just one day at a time. He’s got to stay injury-free but he’s a real exciting prospect.”
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