Breeders’ Cup Saturday preview: Goldencents
November 5, 2020
Goldencents, two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), has four solid chances to become a sire of a Breeders’ Cup winner with his strong group of runners on Saturday.
First on the day is Wildman Jack in the $1 million Turf Sprint (G1), race 5 at 12:39 p.m. ET. The 4-year-old has won both the Nad al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3) and Daytona S. (G3) this year and has been worse than second twice in eight starts at the Sprint’s 5 ½-furlong distance. Wildman Jack, who is owned by his breeder WC Racing Inc, drew post 11 in the field of 14.
Next up is Mr. Money in the $1 million Dirt Mile (G1). This will be the third straight year 4-year-old Mr. Money has run in the Breeders’ Cup and the second straight in the Dirt Mile. He is Goldencents’ second lifetime-leading earner, with $1,360,430 to date. He won Churchill Downs’ Ack Ack S. (G3) in his most recent start on Sept. 26, his fifth career graded win for owners Allied Racing Stable and Spendthrift Farm. Mr. Money was bred by Spruce Lane Farm.
The $2 million Sprint (G1), race 8 at 2:39 p.m., features Empire of Gold, the 3-year-old who has already faced older horses four times, with two wins and a gallant second in last month’s Phoenix S. (G2) at Keeneland. Empire of Gold, who is owned by Johnny Evans and Terry Eoff (also his trainer), is in post 9 in the field of 13. He was bred in Kentucky by W C Racing.
By My Standards, his sire’s all-time leading earner with $1,764,430, will run in the $6 million Classic, the 12th and final race at 5:15 p.m. that drew a field of 10, with By My Standards in post 3. The ultra-consistent 4-year-old has been first or second in 10 of 12 and has four graded stakes wins this year. He is owned by Allied Racing Stable and trained by Bret Calhoun. Bred by Don Ladd, By My Standards sold for $150,000 at the 2018 OBS Spring 2-year-old sale.
After finishing 2019 as the leading Second-Crop sire, Goldencents is atop this year’s Third-Crop list in nearly every category, with progeny earnings of $5.7 million, 94 winners and 12 stakes horses. He’ll stand the 2021 season for $15,000 S&N.