Mother Goose Stakes 2011 at Belmont Park - Joyful Victory favourite, Trainer Larry Jones
Mother Goose Stakes will be drawing a field of seven as they gather in the Belmont Park on June 25, 2011. The highlight of the Belmont Park summer meet may be a Joyful Victory after all.
Joyful Victory receives training from Larry Jones. He has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favourite. Jones is worried his grey, or, roan filly facing Plum Pretty has been doused as she is no more a part of the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes.
Jones joked about this by saying, “I’m not glad (Plum Pretty and Royal Delta) are out of there, but if it’s in their best interests not to be in there I’m not going to complain”.
Mother Goose Stakes has a purse of $250,000. The other two hot contestants, Royal Delta and Plum Pretty were pulled out of the Mother Goose Stakes due to health issues.
The daughter of Tapit last rivalled Plum Pretty in the May 6, 2011 Kentucky Oaks, where she succumbed to a fourth position and Plum Pretty was victorious by 3 1/4 lengths.
Joyful Victory’s staggering performance in the Kentucky Oaks may be compounded to her having an inside trip. She was sent in the race as a 2-1 favourite. Jones also commented on this by saying “The results were not what I expected, but a little bit of humble pie never hurt anyone. That’s horse racing. I guess I will use the rail as an excuse”.
Jones also echoed his fear about eventually having to face Plum Pretty in one race, or, another. He said, “Somewhere down the line, we’re going to have to hook Plum Pretty in order to take the title away from her”. But for now the coast is clear for Joyful Victory in the 8.5 furlongs.
Joyful Victory last enjoyed a win on April 10, 2011 in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes. She was also victorious at the Oaklawn Park on March 12, 2011 in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes. Honeybee Stakes gave the filly her first stakes win. Mike Smith was her jockey in the Honeybee Stakes.
Joyful Victory races for Fox Hill Farms. As for her work outs the filly has been practising at Delaware Park after she came back from the Kentucky Oaks. She breezed thrice, covering the five furlongs in a time of 1 minute and 00.40 seconds on June 20, 2011. She was the fastest of the seventeen working on the morning.
Joyful Victory might be facing rivalry from Salty Strike, who has been called at the winning odds, of 5-2 and comes off a win in the Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes on June 4, 2011. She will be ridden by Manny Cruz. Salty Strike finished fourth to Joyful Victory in the Honeybee Stakes.
Joyful Victory will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez in the Mother Goose Stakes.
The Mother Goose Stakes has the novelty of formerly being a part of the US Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. The race has Rachel Alexandra as having the largest winning margin. She won by 19 ¼ lengths on June 27, 2009. Joyful Victory is a filly with an amazing cruising speed that was bought for $400,000 as a 2-year old at Fasig-Tipton in Florida 2010.
She now has career earnings that amount to $380,100. After the Mother Goose Stakes, she will be pointed to the $250,000 Coaching Club American Oaks. The Grade 1 race is to be held on July 23, 2011 at Saratoga race course.
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