In
the nine years that the Delta
Jackpot (G-3) has been contested, only one winner, Big Drama, has carved out a
career as a Grade 1 winner. Also, only one horse that finished in the
money in the Jackpot has made an impact on the Triple Crown races.
That was 2005 Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument.
This
year's champ Goldencents continues the Jackpot tradition of
precocious miler-oriented winners. The Doug O'Neil trainee announced
his arrival on the racing scene with a jaw-dropping 7 ¼ length
winning debut at Del Mar. Then he was tossed in against the monster
known as Shanghai Bobby in the Champagne Stakes. Making his first
start on dirt, shipping to a new track and adding 2 ½ furlongs,
Goldencents did very well to place second in the Champagne, five
lengths behind the winner.
In
the Delta Jackpot, Goldencents burst out of the gate from the nine
hole and tangled briefly with HEAVEN'S
RUNWAY
before subduing that rival. Piloted confidently by Kevin Krigger,
Goldencents led the field on a merry chase, posting solid fractions
and edging clear by 1 ¾ lengths at the wire. The post time favorite
BERN
IDENTITY
had a tough trip, but once he found racing room, closed rapidly to
finish second. An impressive MYLUTE
trailed the field in the early stages and made a breath-taking
move around the far turn. He appeared to lose focus in the stretch,
allowing Bern Identity to sneak by him and take second place. The
final time for 1 1/16 miles was a swift 1:44.89, barely a blink off Big Drama's Jackpot stakes-holder time of 1:44.72.
GOLDENCENTS
(Into Mischief - Golden Works, by Banker's Gold) blazed a quarter
mile in :21.10 at the OBS June Two Year Olds In Training sale and
was purchased for $62K by the partnership of W. C. Racing, Dave
Kenney and RAP Racing. His victory in the Delta Jackpot earned him a
3-2-1 ($722,000) race record.
Sire:
The
bay colt's first crop sire Into Mischief made it to the races in late
October of his two year old season. He was a lightly raced, but
talented colt who won or placed in all six starts. Into Mischief won
from 6 ½ furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. His miler's pedigree kept him off
of the Triple Crown trail.
Into
Mischief sired 41 foals in his first crop. Just 17 of his foals
have started and seven have won, which is a pretty good percentage.
His babies are mainly dirt runners, however Goldencents has won over
the DelMar Polytrack and one runner was successful over the lawn.
Thanks to his son's huge payday in the Delta Jackpot, Into Mischief
is ranked #3 on the Freshman Sire list in terms of earnings.
Perhaps one or two of his progeny will place at longer distances, but
for the most part, Into Mischief's offspring will be distance
challenged and will find 1 1/16 miles at the top of their range.
INTO
MISCHIEF (Harlan's
Holiday - Leslie's Lady, by Tricky Creek)
Race
Record: 6-3-3-0 ($597,080)
Career
Highlights:
1st
– Cashcall Futurity (G-1) 1 1/16 miles
1st
– Damascus Stakes 7F
2nd
– Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G-2) 7F
2nd
- San Vicente Stakes (G-2) 7F
2nd
– Malibu Stakes (G-1) 7F
Female
Family:
Goldencents'
hails from a modest, but hardy female family. His dam Golden Works
spent her racing career in the claiming ranks at Assiniboia Downs as
a sprinter. Despite the lowly class, Golden Works was a decent race
mare and compiled a 8-2-3-0 ($14,520) race record. Goldencents is her
second foal to race and the first to earn blacktype.
Body
Works, Goldencents' second dam, raced at the same track as her
daughter. The veteran of 45 races, Body Works was in the money a
remarkable 35 of 45 starts, mainly in listed stakes races. She was
the best runner in three generations of this humble family. Farther
back in the line, Goldencents' fifth dam Doiley bore a nondiscript
mare named Mostly Sunny. That one produced Canadian Champion
Juvenile and 1983 Kentucky Derby Hero Sunny's Halo.
Damsire:
Banker's
Gold, Goldencents' damisre, competed with the best of his generation
recording varied results. A middle distance runner, the son of Forty
Niner was successful from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. He earned
wins at the Grade 2 level and placed in the Grade 1 Met Mile and
Carter Handicaps. Banker's Gold stood at stud in the US before being
sold to Cypress. He sired ten US stakes winners and and two
Panamanian Champions. Banker's Gold is represented by three stakes
winners, one in Brazil, one in Ireland and Goldencents.
BANKER'S
GOLD (Forty Niner - Banker's Lady, by Nijinsky II)
Race
Record: 15-6-3-1 ($461,420)
Career
Highlights:
1st
- Peter Pan Stakes (G-2) 1 1/8 miles
1st
- Tom Fool Handicap (G-2) 7F
2nd
- Metropolitan Handicap (G-1) 1 mile
2nd
– Carter Handicap (G-1) 7F
3rd
- Dwyer Stakes (G-2) 1 1/16 miles
Into
Mischief's grand-sire Storm Cat and his sons have crossed well with
Forty Niner's sire line. Last year's Delta Jackpot winner Sabercat
(Bluegrass Cat – Miner's Blessing, by Forty Niner) carries similar
breeding to Goldencents, as both are by sons of Storm Cat out of
Forty Niner sire line broodmares. Only three foals were produced by
the Harlan's Holiday/Forty Niner nick and two made it to the races.
Both were winners. They didn't win a whole lot of money, but it
offered promise for Into Mischief's breeding to Golden Works.
Summary:
With
his victory in the Delta Jackpot and runner-up placing in the
Champagne Stakes, Goldencents has earned 14 points in the new
Kentucky Derby Points system. He's currently in second place behind
Shanghai Bobby who has 20 points.
Goldencents is outrunning his
unassuming pedigree. He appears to be a lightly-built, leggy colt
who will undoubtedly fill out as he matures. Goldencents is a smooth
striding horse with a high cruising speed. He has a habit of pulling
his head to the right and appears to want to lug out. This is a sign
of inexperience and should sort itself out as he races. Goldencents
is proven at 1 1/16 miles. He'll likely run into difficulty as the
colts with classic distance pedigrees mature. If he's kept off of
the Triple Crown trail and pointed to races within his distance
scope, Goldencents could develop into a top class sprinter/miler.
Trainer Doug O'Neil hinted that Goldencents could show up in the
Robert B. Lewis Stakes next year.
