Tarifa gets top billing in Mother Goose Stakes

A strong field of eight three-year-old fillies will take to the Aqueduct dirt in Saturday’s $250,000 Mother Goose S. (G2). The 1 1/8-mile event at two turns has attracted three graded winners for the race, and I feel that each will be in the mix late in the affair. 

Mother Goose Wagers

• $5 trifecta key 3 with 5,6,7 ($30)
• 50-cent superfecta 3 with 5,6,7 with 5,6,7 with all ($15)

The Mother Goose seems like a fine spot for multiple Grade 2 heroine #3 Tarifa (5-2) to get back to her winning ways. Trained by Brad Cox, the Godolphin homebred burst onto the scene in Louisiana earlier this season when reeling off a trio of wins in succession, capped by victories in the Rachel Alexandra S. (G2) and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). Bernardini filly is winless in a trio of assignments since, but her last pair of attempts were solid, headlined by a third-place run in the Cotillion S. (G1) at Parx in her latest venture. 

Tarifa seems like a natural fit at both the distance and the course, and having Flavien Prat coming in to ride is a major bonus, too. She will be in range from the early stages of the tilt. 

I will use each of the trio of Gun Runner progeny underneath my top selection in the vertical exotics. Todd Pletcher’s #6 Life Talk (5-1) bagged the Demoiselle S. (G2) on the surface in November, and while she has not progressed as much as I had expected in 2024, I’m expecting a nice performance in her second outing since April. The Repole color-bearer split a nice pair at Churchill Downs off the bench most recently and will be challenging for a top-three finish late with expected improvement under Kendrick Carmouche. 

Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) victress #5 Gun Song (8-5) fell just a neck short of upending super filly Thorpedo Anna in the Cotillion (G1) in her latest appearance for conditioner Mark Hennig. The talented chestnut has good early speed, a maiden victory on the surface, as well as a graded tally at the distance. Regular pilot John Velazquez will have the Kentucky-bred forwardly placed soon after the break. 

Klaravich Stables’ #7 Headline Numbers (4-1) romped by 11 lengths in a strong maiden score on July 4 on this strip, prior to being elevated to first in a subsequent allowance race at Saratoga on Aug. 22. The $325,000 yearling purchase will get a true class test on Saturday, but having a clear draw near the outside, combined with Irad Lopez Jr. in the silks, will give her every chance to put a good foot forward in her graded bow for conditioner Chad Brown.