No matter what happens over the next three weeks, September 2024 will be a month to remember for owners Perry and Ramona Bass, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, and others associated with the turf horse Goliad.
Racing in the $1.8 million Mint Millions Stakes (G3T) Sept. 7, the speedy turf miler won his second race of the short Kentucky Downs meet, leading from start to finish, just as he did six days earlier in the $481,200 Sticker Mule Overnight Handicap. Even his time for a mile on turf was similar—1:33.38 after he clocked 1:33.12 in the Sept. 1 Sticker Mule.
An 9-1 shot, Goliad always looked as if he would be tough to catch, racing uncontested on the lead under jockey Flavien Prat. Clear of rivals for much of the long Kentucky Downs stretch, he hit the wire a length ahead of a closing Cash Equity in second.
Goliad wins the G3 Mint Millions for owners Perry Bass II and Ramona Bass. Richard Mandella trains the gelding, and Flavien Prat was aboard. #KyDowns pic.twitter.com/ixFmUxN7Ia
— Kentucky Downs (@KYDownsRacing) September 7, 2024
"This was the first time I rode him in a long time," said Prat. "It felt like he was going easy. He's a tricky horse to ride, but what a great job by Mr. Mandella. The first part he's nice and relaxed. Then you do about a furlong and he gets on the bridle, and gets his momentum going. If you fight him, he just fights back. So I was just trying to keep him happy. To be honest, at the eighth pole, I was worried because I knew they were coming. He was just brave enough to win, to stay on. "
Favored Talk of the Nation grabbed third ahead of Reckoning Force in fourth.
Ancient Rome, last year's winner, ran seventh.
The winner was one of three horses in Saturday's race to make their second start of the meet. Cash Equity and Irish Aces (sixth) also returned on short rest.
Taylor Cambra, Mandella's assistant trainer, said Goliad's prior Kentucky Downs win in easier company "was like a breeze to him."
"We wouldn't have run him back if he wasn't 100%," Cambra continued. "He's been great all the way coming up to this race, to take a shot. We always knew he had the talent. He's good right now, and he loves this track. So we went ahead and took advantage of it."
Cash Equity's trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr., added: "Here is your new handicapping angle: bet the horses that are running back in six days."
Published fractions in the race were :23.14, :44.92, 1:08, and 1:20.37.
Goliad returned $21.14 to win.
A homebred 7-year-old son of War Front out of the Dynaformer mare Choreograph, Goliad banked $1,195,200 for Saturday's victory. He earned $300,000 in the Sticker Mule. For his career, Goliad has won six of 20 starts and earned $1,758,571.
Before his success at Kentucky Downs, his most significant victory had occurred in February in the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.
He is among five black-type horses for his dam. One of those black-type horses, Dancing to Town, won the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes in 2013.
War Front, one of the top turf sires in North America, stood this past season at Claiborne Farm for a $100,000 fee.
