How to bet the 2021 Golden Rod Stakes

A total of eight juvenile fillies will run 1 1/16 miles on the Churchill Downs dirt in Saturday’s $400,000 Golden Rod S. (G2). The affair is headlined by #4 Sandstone, who dominated the Rags to Riches S. by 10 lengths on the surface in her latest venture. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the rapidly improving daughter of Street Sense was unplaced in a sprint on debut, but she returned to crush maiden foes over a sloppy, sealed strip by nine lengths, which preceded her stakes tour-de-force most recently.

Sandstone has good early speed combined with a fine turn of foot, and while I don’t believe that she is a cinch in the cast, I will still side with the Kentucky-bred in the top slot in my major play. Brian Hernandez Jr. retains the mount.

#1 Famed is a half-sister to exquisite champion Essential Quality and looked the part in a recent maiden romp at Keeneland. Second beneath the Twin Spires at first asking, the Brad Cox pupil will appreciate the stretch out in distance, as well as breaking from the cozy rail post. The Godolphin homebred will have Florent Geroux in the silks once again.

#7 Dream Lith is a filly I have not given up on as of yet, despite unsuccessfully tabbing her for success in two Grade 1 tilts in succession. The Robertino Diodoro trainee looked too good in her winning debut offering at Saratoga to dismiss at this stage of her development. By Medaglia d’Oro, the dark bay filly will be equipped with blinkers for the first time on Saturday in hopes of keeping her more focused in the early stages. David Cohen will be in the stirrups.

Rodolphe Brisset’s #6 Yuugiri aired at first asking before being outrun at 3-5 odds in the Rags to Riches. The bay homebred will also be sporting the headgear for the first time, and a rebound effort would not be a surprise with regular pilot Tyler Gaffalione back in the irons. The Shackleford filly rates as the one to catch with a clean break.

Golden Rod Wagers

• $1 superfecta key 4 with 1, 6, 7 with 1, 6, 7 with all ($30)
• 50-cent superfecta 1, 4 with 1, 4 with 6, 7 with all ($10)