Exotic Plays for the 2022 Mother Goose Stakes

A compact, but talented, field of five sophomore fillies will contest the $250,000 Mother Goose S. (G2) at Belmont Park. The Saturday feature will be run at 1 1/16 miles on the main surface and is led by Grade 1 victress #5 Juju’s Map (1-1) from the barn of Brad Cox.

The Albaugh Family Stables color bearer put in an excellent juvenile season when annexing the Alcibiades S. (G1) at Keeneland, prior to coming home a smart runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies S. (G1). The dark bay commenced her three-year-old campaign at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day and waltzed home a facile 4 3/4-length allowance heroine.

Juju’s Map draws perfectly on the outside of the field and will be a prominent figure from the start due to her substantial early speed. A single turn seems ideal for her in the second start of her sophomore year, and having regular pilot Florent Geroux come in to ride is a definite bonus. She faces a strong field, but I can’t go against her on this occasion.

#4 Gerrymander (5-1) was put in an ambitious spot for her seasonal debut when facing a top field in the Eight Belles S. (G2) beneath the Twin Spires most recently for conditioner Chad Brown. The stakes-winning daughter of Into Mischief checked in sixth after having trouble out of the gate in that affair, but she will be much more dangerous second time off the long break.

The Klaravich color bearer endured a strong two-year-old stanza, which included a second-place finish in the Frizette S. (G1), and the well-bred sort has always run well over Big Sandy. The $375,000 yearling purchase has ample early foot, and she is surely talented enough to factor in the outcome of the race with her best showing. She shows four solid morning drills in anticipation of this tilt and will have Joel Rosario in the silks once again.

I believe that the once-beaten #1 Shahama (9-5) is an excellent prospect worthy of inclusion in the field for Todd Pletcher. The Munnings filly was a standout in Dubai over the winter, and she showed some late interest when coming home a respectable sixth in the deep Kentucky Oaks (G1) in her U. S. debut. The one-run closer might not receive a great pace scenario with which to work with on Saturday, but she is logical in the top-three, nonetheless. Flavien Prat will be up.

Mother Goose Exotics Wagers

• $35 exacta: 5 with 4 ($35)
• $8 exacta: 4 with 5 ($8)
• $4 trifecta: key 5 with 1, 4 ($8)