Speedy Goliad Posts Insurmountable Front-Running Lead And Takes Grade III, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes

SPEEDY GOLIAD POSTS INSURMOUNTABLE FRONT-RUNNING LEAD AND TAKES GRADE III, $100,000 THUNDER ROAD STAKES BY THREE LENGTHS AS KIMURA & MANDELLA TEAM FOR MILE TURF WIN IN 1:33.57

ARCADIA, CA (Feb. 3, 2024)—With a 10-length cushion a quarter mile from home, Richard Mandella’s front-running Goliad was long gone in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita as he cruised to a three length score under Kazushi Kimura.  A 7-year-old gelding by War Front, Goliad posted his first career stakes win, getting one mile over a “good” turf in 1:33.57.

Breaking sharply from his number five post, Goliad made the easiest of leads and was simply gone early, middle and late as eventual runner-up Dandy Man Shines sat second the entire trip and never came close to threatening the winner.

A gate to wire one mile allowance turf winner here on Jan. 7, Goliad was off at 5-1 and paid $12.80, $5.60 and $5.00.

Bred in Kentucky by Ramona S. Bass and owned by Ramona and Perry R. Bass II, Goliad, who is out of the Dynaformer mare Choreograph, is now 16-4-4-1.  With the winner’s share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $262,371.

Mandella notched his fifth stakes win of the meet, one behind Phil D’Amato’s six and Kimura, perennial riding kingpin at Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto, got his first added money win of the meet.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Irish-bred Dandy Man Shines outran Ah Jeez for second money and paid $4.20 and $3.00 while off at 5-2. 

Longshot Ah Jeez, fourth most of the trip, was off at 19-1 with Hector Berrios and paid $7.40 to show.

Tio Magico, the 8-5 favorite with Flavien Prat, could make no impression from off the pace and finished fourth, 1 ¼ lengths behind Ah Jeez.

Goliad’s front-running fractions were 23.36, 46.07, 1:09.22 and 1:21.29.